Truth and Lies
by xxDracoDragonxx
Summary: It's a part of life, but in the end it comes down to trust. Would you trust your enemy? Would you save them?... FINISHED AND REWRITTEN...
1. Chapter 1

"Morning hun," called her mother from the kitchen table, Dr Granger was a petit women and bushy hair that her daughter inherited. Hermione walked over and kissed her mother on the cheek, "Morning mum," she said, taking her usual seat in the middle of the table. Hermione poured herself some tea and picked a slice of toast off her mother's plate, "Have you finished with that?" she asked, indicating the pile of morning papers, her mother nodded. Hermione gave a quick scan to the headlines but nothing stood out. Ever since last year Hermione had demanded that her parents buy every paper just so she could check them. Not everything was printed in the wizard papers.

It had been 5 short months since Harry had defeated Lord Voldemort, she had been naive, like a lot of people in thinking that with Voldemort gone there could be peace in the wizarding world, she had never really known peace in that world before.

It lasted a month.

Before long the Dark Mark started showing up above houses again the wizarding world was in pandemonium.

Was He back?

Did Potter lie?

Could He really be killed?

The Order worked hard, they knew it was not Lord Voldemort as Harry killed him, they had all seen Harry kill him. After a month they found out that it was a Death Eater. One of Voldemorts inner circle of Death Eaters had risen through the ranks and named themselves Leader.

However, the Order still did not know who was in charge everyone had their own ideas, there where arrests, Aurar's were everywhere. Anyone the Order caught wouldn't speck, a few killed themselves and some of the lower followers didn't know, Harry thought it might be Snape, but there was no proof.

"Hermione?" Hermione glanced up at her mother then realised that she had been asked a question "Pardon?" her mother gave a sigh "I said are you still going to come to you fathers function next week? We understand if you don't want to but Hermione" she sighed again. "You have a life to lead remember, I thought that was the whole reason for this gap year before you start training." She reached over and squeezed her daughter's hand.

"I know. I know. I'm going. I was actually going to pick up my dress later on." her mother beamed "I'm glad, plus you never know there might even be a gent there that might catch your eye!" Hermione raised an eyebrow. "As long as it's not Pervy Peters!" she replied. Both mother and daughter laughed.

* * *

Hermione was strolling down Oxford Street having finally picked out a dress. It was a tossup between a sexy red number or a little black dress, she decided on the red in the end so what if she showed a little cleavage, better a little cleavage then a lot of leg!

Contrary to what her parents thought, she was really looking forward to the event, to spend time with her parents and show her dad how proud of him she was. She loved her friends, but there was a little part of her that just wanted to forget about magic and all the pain it could cause for a little while. That's why she told Mrs. Weasley she wouldn't be at the burrow till a few more weeks; Ginny had gone back to Hogwarts for her final year.

Hermione was pulled out of her thoughts by a commotion happening down a side street. She looked around her, not one person was paying the any attention they were busy, on the phone, talking to their friends, listening to the music. Muggles! She thought as she looked down the alley again. It looked like two people from what she could make out (and that wasn't a lot) one person seemed to be struggling under the weight of the other.

"What in the world?" she said she checked for her wand then she made her way over to them, she got close enough to hear bit of their conversation. "You must ... leave me" said a man's voice that was panting through pain, this must be the man who needed help walking "No!" the other male sobbed, they were both in dark clothing, jeans and a long sleeved black top.

Hermione thought about leaving them, but she was a witch she might be able to help. Taking a deep breath she stepped out from behind them and asked "Excuse me. Do you need any hel- Oh my God!!" She gasped her hands flying to cover her mouth, her shopping fell to the floor in a forgotten heap. At the sound of her voice the men had turned around. That was when she recognized them, she hadn't seen them in over a year and they looked nothing like their former selves but she could never forget them their faces were on the most wanted and dangerous posters around the wizarding community along with all the other known Death Eaters, but there they were in muggle London. Severus Snape was being held up by Draco Malfoy.

* * *

All three stood frozen, all the background noise was muted the only sound was Snape's labored breathing. Although her body was frozen, her mind was in over drive.

Where had they been?

Why were they here?

Should she run away?

Could she run?

Was Snape really hurt?

If so, then how badly?

Should she help them?

"Gra.. nger?" Snape said like he couldn't believe his eyes. Hermione looked at Malfoy and noticed he kept looking at the busy street exit behind her. Something kicked in then; Adrenalin? Fear? It made her do something she never thought she would do.

Help.

"Professor are you o.k?" She asked stepping forward, now that she was closer she could see more clearly. Snape had one arm thrown over Malfoy's shoulder the other was clutching his stomach and that was when she noticed the blood pooling through his fingers. "Oh my God, sir!" she dashed forward the last few steps over to the two men.

"What happened? Why didn't you heal yourself?" she asked. Malfoy seemed to be frozen he wasn't even blinking, like he was in his own little world maybe reliving what happened. "No ... wand" Snape spluttered as Hermione helped him out of Malfoy's grip and on to the ground, she laid him down, she had to see the wound maybe she could help. Hermione ripped off his top, making Snape gasp from the cool air.

What Hermione saw next shocked her to her core, the wound was a small circular hole and blood was pumping from it, she looked up at Snape's pasty coloured face in disbelief, this was no wand inflicted wound "You've been shot!"

* * *

Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't a question.

It was a fact.

Snape was shot.

There was so much blood, "Professor!" she exclaimed when she noticed his eyes shut, they fluttered open, frowning slightly up at Hermione as he took shallow breaths. "I didn't wan... Want to... Kill him." he breathed, a single tear escaping his eye, becoming lost in his long greasy dishevelled hair. "Try not to talk, Sir." Hermione advised.

She knew absolutely nothing about bullet wounds, the nearest she came to them was watching E.R. with her dad, years ago. "Think girl. Think." she mumbled to herself. She found herself full with uncertainty. Removing her wand from her pocket she whispered "Scourgify" to clean the wound, Snape's ashen face turned to her. "Care for..." He could not finish.

Hermione panicked she knew she had to stay calm, try and keep a clear head but this was just too surreal, Snape was a moody, cranky old sod and he was going to outlive everyone, he couldn't be lying before her, blood pooling beneath him struggling to speak. Something stirred in her memory:

_**If a wound is sever act quickly, lay the casualty down and press down hard on the wound with an absorbent material or your bare hands. Maintain pressure for 10 minutes after which the blood should be clotting..**_

Ripping off her light jacket she placed it over the area and pressed down, Snape hissed at the sudden pressure but Hermione's mind was running through books to find something that might help. "Had to save.. Draco..." Snape said, his breathing becoming worse.

_**Comfort and reassure..**_

blah blah

Something about not wearing _**tight clothes**_ because of _**stopping oxygen**_ was that right?

After a quick check to see if Snape wore anything of the sort she was deep in her mind once more. She could only remember bits.

_**Keep warm (coat or blanket, artificial heat will draw blood to skin, starving vital organs of blood.)**_

So she couldn't heat his body with magic and there was nothing around them that she could transfigure into a blanket. "Fuck!" She swore. Hermione was startled when Snape reached up and grabbed her arm. "Look aft... After Draco. Please. Promise." she stared in to his eyes, Comfort. Reassure. "Yes. I promise, Sir." Snape sighed, letting go of her. Looking up at Malfoy she felt a stab of pity.

"Dra... co." Snape's laboured breathing making Hermione feel more helpless. Blood was soaking through her jacket. "Malfoy." she said trying to get his attention. "Draco!" she shouted. For the first time since she arrived, Malfoy seemed to snap into the present, for he dropped down on his knees next to Hermione. "Sir?" He croaked grabbing the older man's hand. "I'm so sorry. You should have left me with them. This is my entire fault." Malfoy cried.

"It's fine ta... Care of him... Hermione." Snape was looking at Draco so she was not sure if he saw her nod her head in agreement. She felt his body suddenly stiffen then go limp beneath her hands. Malfoy noticed as well for he shouted "No!" Hermione leaned over and checked Snape's neck for a pulse. There was none. She gently closed his eyelids. Malfoy was gripping the body so hard his knuckles were white.

Hermione was in a daze, she got up went to collect her bags, placing them against the wall near Malfoy. Taking a deep breath she went over and knelt by Malfoy and the body of her former teacher. She ran a hand along the side of Malfoy's face, he jumped slightly at the contact, she brushed away the tears that were leaving track marks down his filthy face, he had at least a month's growth of facial hair, at one point she thought it might have been the same colour as his pale locks but right now it was dirty, she needed to get him sorted.

"It will be o.k." she said, he looked up at her with his red puffy eyes before he crashed his head on her shoulder, crying to hard it shuck his body. They knelt that way for a while, Hermione trying to give comfort to the grieving body in her arms. Malfoy clung to her, overcome by such raw emotion he did not know how to deal with.

After a while Malfoy was still, "Come on, we have to go." Hermione coxed. He looked up at her, finally releasing her body. "I have nowhere to go." he managed to say. In that moment, when he looked so lost, alone and venerable. Hermione felt the strongest urge to take him in her arms and try to protect him no matter what. The past did not filter into it, he needed her. Hermione got to her feet, "You're coming home with me." Giving him her hand, she helped him to his feet.

Hermione took a deep breath and did what she had to do, she pulled out her mobile and dialled 999 for an ambulance, with her wand she cleaned the ally of any finger prints or any other evidence that Malfoy and herself were there. She brought her bags to her side, checked the area for CCTV and she burned her jacket that she had used in the useless attempted to stop Snape from bleeding. When she heard the faint sound of sirens she took hold of Malfoy's hand put her shopping over her shoulder giving a final look at Snape.

"Goodbye sir." Giving a reassuring squeeze to Malfoys hand she apparated them to her bedroom in her parents' house.

* * *

Now that she had Malfoy in her house she wasn't exactly sure what to do with him. "Stay here, I'm just going to see if my parents are home yet." Malfoy did not say anything, he had retreated into himself once more. A quick check of the house revealed that her mum and dad were still at the practice, she thought about phoning her mother, but knew if she did that she'd start crying and that would make her less then useless to Malfoy. On re-entering the room she noticed how out place Malfoy looked in her bedroom and not just the obvious reasons. The only reference to magic she kept in this room was her wand, all her books and old school equipment were in her study down the hall which she kept locked when were she wasn't in there.

Now that she had him in proper lighting she could see him clearly for the first time, but it was the smell that attacked her senses. He stunk. Malfoy was covered in layers of dirt that made surprised she even recognised him in the first place. His once pale, clean, trademark hair was longer then she had ever seen it and it looked like it had not seen a brush in years. His clothes were loose on him and she knew that he lost weight on his tall frame it made him look sick. Maybe he was sick?

"Let's get you all cleaned up." Hermione tried to sound like she knew what she was doing, taking his hand once more she lead him down the landing to the bathroom. She put him in the middle of the room and turned the shower on, giving the room a quick glance. "You pop in there, I'll go get some towels' and then we'll see about some food. Maybe start you on some soup." Malfoy didn't reply so Hermione left him.

Hermione made her way down stairs to the kitchen where some hours before she had breakfast with her mother, went over to alcohol cupboard took out the bottle of Bell's Whiskey and two glasses she filled a glass to the rim. After that she went and got out a saucepan and a can of vegetable soup, leaving it on the hob for went she was ready to heat it. She then went back to her glass and drank it in one shot. She could feel the burning sensation as is travelled down her body; she had poured herself another glass when she noticed the blood on her hands, under her fingernails. Snape's blood

It was dry. An irrational thought entered her mind. Her body had soaked up Snape's blood it was in her veins right this second. She dropped the glass, it hit the floor and smashed, pieces of glass scattering a cross the tiled floor. She ran to the tap turned on the hot water and scrubbed her hands until the water became so hot her skin had turned bright pink and it burned.

With slightly shaking hands she used her wand to repair the glass and filled them both up with the amber liquid. On her way back to the bathroom Hermione stopped at the airing cupboard took out some towels then went to check on Malfoy.

* * *

Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling


	3. Chapter 3

After knocking on the door and getting no reply Hermione let herself in. Malfoy had not moved he was standing in the middle of the bathroom as the room slowly steamed from the shower. She left the towels and glasses by the sink and took off her trainer's and socks. Hermione walked over to Malfoy, she stood in front of him. "Let me help." She said.

Hermione slowly lifted his baggy top up; he raised his arms to help her. If Hermione would have ever let herself think about Draco Malfoy's chest she would have said "It would be pale like his face also lean and maybe toned like Harry's and Ron's from all the Quidditch." Maybe that would have been the case, if what happened a few years ago never did.

When Malfoy's torso was exposed to her, Hermione gasped. She had never seen anything like it and hoped until her last day on Earth that she never would. He was black and blue. There were red marks along his stomach as if something had been scrapped across it or whipped, his forearm which she knew once held the Death Eaters mark was inflamed and looked infected it looked as if someone had tried to violently rub it off. A few wounds were still open. Scars ran across his chest indicating that some of these wounds had time to heal.

"Oh, Draco." she breathed, what had he suffered? Who had done this to him? She bent down to untie his laces helping his step out of the shoes. Malfoy wore no socks and his feet stunk. The trousers he wore were too big, he had used a piece of cod to keep them up, Hermione undid it and his trousers fell away revealing a long scar on his upper thigh she could not see where it finished as he had his underwear on but she loathed to think want caused it. Hermione took off her top and jeans, for the first time she noticed the blood on her knees, it must have gotten there while she was kneeling over Snape.

Checking the temperature of the shower again Hermione lead Malfoy in letting the water run over him, the water came away a brown black colour. Hermione placed some shower gel in her hands and gently started to rub it into Malfoy's skin; she cleaned under his fingernails, his under arms where she found small circular burn marks, his back which was also covered with cuts but not so many bruises. Hermione cried glad that Malfoy wouldn't notice in the shower. When he raised his arms above his head for Hermione to clean his sides she could see his ribs'.

She scrubbed his hair making him sit down in the shower so she could easily reach, using nearly her whole bottle of 'Anti tangle - Anti knots' conditioner. Malfoy didn't speak, he only hissed when the soapy water ran into the friction burn on his forearm. After a while Hermione stepped out of the shower leaving Malfoy under the warm water hoping it would relax the young man.

Back in her room Hermione took off her wet underwear and changed into her big comfortable pyjamas and white fluffy slippers. She went down stairs, turned the hob on a low heat, raided a wardrobe with her dads old clothes, that he had kept in order to remember his youth _"The Rolling Stones are from my time and yet young teenagers are wearing their 40 Licks tour t-shirts today! Your old man's got style! Next it will be... "_ was one her father's quotes. Hermione also went into her study and got a dreamless sleep draught and left it on her bedside cabinet, she pulled the spare blow-up-bed out from the wardrobe, inflated it, put a new sheet, quilt and pillow case on it. When she was sure she'd given Malfoy enough time she let herself back in the bathroom.

The shower was turned off and Malfoy stood with the towel wrapped around his skinny hip's his soaking underwear on the floor in the shower. "Good." she smiled. "You just pop these clothes on, they should fit they definitely won't fit dad anymore. There is a glass of whiskey for you by the sink, I'll be in my bedroom when you have finished I'll bring the food up." Placing the clothes on the toilet seat lid she left.

Hermione went down stairs once more, placed the hot food in two bowls, and on a tray with two spoons a tall glass of milk and French stick. With the washing up done Hermione carried the tray into her room where she found Malfoy staring out the window in to the garden. "I got food!" She stated placing the tray on her bed Malfoy sat opposite her "Just eat slowly, okay. You don't want to be sick." She cautioned, sure she remembered something about people who haven't eaten can be sick if they eat too much or too fast as the stomach wouldn't be used to it.

She finished her food before him and after getting a nod of approval she used her wand to get rid of his nasty facial hair, clean his wound's (he would have to wait till her mum and dad got home before someone with slight knowledge knew what they were doing. Malfoy was dropping off to sleep while he ate; he didn't say anything when she brushed his hair it got caught on so many knots that she cut it to how she remembered in school.

When he had finished the food and drank the milk Hermione made him drink the potion, she knew that this potion you also had to take in to account your weight for how long you want to sleep, so Hermione only gave him a little drop. "You can have my bed I'll sleep on the blow-up." It took less than 5 minutes for Malfoy to fall asleep Hermione sat by him for a while before she cleaned the tray and went downstairs to await the return of her parents.

* * *

While she waited Hermione decided that she had to tell Professor McGonagall what had happened to she got her quill and parchment. She didn't know what to say. She knew that if she told the Order that she had Draco Malfoy in her house they would turn up in seconds, take him away and shove a bottle of Veritaserum down him so they could interrogate him. Well mostly Mad-Eye would with lots of encouragement from the Weasley offspring. She couldn't do that.

Looking down at her finished letter Hermione sighed. She told the truth about what happened. _Kind of_. Apart from the fact that Malfoy was there in the ally with her, she told McGonagall about finding Snape, trying to save him, Snape saying sorry for Dumbledore, phoning for an ambulance. Hermione finished saying she wanted to spend time with her family and would be glad if she was left alone to deal with what she saw, hopefully they would by this so she could sort Draco out and then maybe let the Order talk to him.

Glancing up at the clock in the kitchen Hermione was shocked to discover it was only 6.30pm, she felt like she'd been up for 36 hours straight. "Honey, we're home!" She heard her father call from the hallway as he did every time he came home. Hermione practically fell over trying to get out of her chair, she ran to meet them throwing herself into her dad's strong, safe arms.

"Wow, Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked concerned, she could feel his heart beat under his dress shirt. "I ... I don't know ... to begin." She sobbed. Mrs Granger took over "David. Hermione. Living room. I'll make us some tea, and then we'll talk." She scooted her daughter and husband out of her way as she went to the kitchen.

It took longer than she thought to tell her parents everything that had happened that afternoon. "But you're okay? You're not hurt?" he dad asked, Hermione shook her head, she felt like she had been talking forever. "Why haven't you taken him to your Order? Why are you taking care of him?" her mother questioned. "I don't know. Some people on our side want him gone; the Weasley's blame him for what happened to Bill. I ... I just think he would be safer here. He might open up about what happened to him and who did it." They stayed there for a few hours going round in circles about what might happen until Mrs Granger sent Hermione to bed.

It was well past midnight when Hermione curled under her spare quilt cover. She was woken what felt like a few seconds later by the sound of Malfoy shouting. Jumping out of bed Hermione did a silencing charm on her room. "Malfoy." she whispered, he was covered in sweat "Please, don't!!" he shouted. "Draco, wake up!" Hermione said louder, she grabbed his shoulder's "Draco, please." she begged, Hermione didn't know what Malfoy was reliving in his dreams. "What...?" Malfoy opened his eyes, he looked disorientated. "It's okay, you're safe." she said reassuringly "Safe?" he mumbled before he broke down, Hermione climbed on the bed, under the covers and pulled him into her body as he cried. Hermione squeezed him as she repeated "You're safe." Until he fell asleep and exhaustion made her join him.

* * *

Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione woke up to the sound of someone knocking on her bedroom. "Hermione!" Her mother called. She was about to yell back when she remembered Malfoy, looking down she found him awake, his head resting on her shoulder while an arm was thrown over her waist, Hermione blushed slightly at the intimacy of their position.

"What mum?" She asked not moving.

"Hermione, wake up sweetie." her mother said louder.

"I'm awake - Arh crap!" she muttered having forgotten about the silencing charm last night or this morning whenever it happened, groping her wand she did the counter curse

"What is it mum?" she asked as Malfoy removed himself from her.

"Harry's owl is here with a letter for you." Hermione jumped out of bed startling Malfoy, she nearly fell over the blow-up-bed on the floor in her haste to reach the door. "I'll be back." was her parting shot to the boy in her bed as she left the room. She went downstairs finding Hedwig on her back of her father's chair happily eating the bit of bacon her father offered the owl, she removed the parchment.

_Hey H,_

_We aint heard from you in a while just thought I'd check on ya. Mrs Weasley wants to know when your gunna pop over, I think she's really missing Ginny - Mr Weasley says it because when Gin finish's this year at school she won't be able to mother anyone anymore! (Like being an adult is going to stop her!!!) _

_Ron say's HI and if you don't come soon he is going to apperate to your room in the middle of the night!! I think he would, we've been helping out at the twin's store and they've been giving him ideas!!!!_

_Take care and stay safe_

_Harry_

Hermione laughed at the bit about Ron, the twins could be a bad influence, and grabbing a spare piece on paper Hermione scribbled a reply:

_Harry,_

_I miss you guys loads, but I promised my parent's I'd stay longer with them I'll be here at least until Saturday (I told you about dad's function thing right?) Please tell Ronald Weasley that he has never seen my house let alone my room so how does he plan on apperating to a place he's never been before? It's me who should be telling you to stay safe Mr Potter!! I'm stuck at home while you're with Fred and George doing who knows what?_

_See you soon, love you guys lots_

_Hermione XxX_

Rolling up her letter she grabbed the one she wrote for McGonagall the night before "Hedwig, this is for Harry and this is for Professor McGonagall." She informed the bird. Hedwig hooted, took one more mouth full of bacon then flew out the kitchen window, "Morning." Hermione called over her shoulder to her parents as she made your way back to her room.

Hermione had expected to find Malfoy still her bed hopefully asleep and getting his strength back, this however was not the case, Malfoy stood beside her vanity, in front of her full length mirror, the top he'd worn of her father's on the floor in a heap. Hermione stopped, he looked at her reflection. "I... I wanted... No. I needed to see." he explained, his battered body looking worse in the morning light or maybe it had looked like that last night, she could not remember. He ran a finger over a thin pale scar that ran down the centre of his chest.

"She said that my face wasn't to be touched. That part of me at least was a Malfoy but the rest ..." he said, Hermione had no idea who She was "She gave me to him." Hermione picked up her wand from where she left it on the nightstand.

"Malfoy, I'm not a healer. I should have taken you to the hospital..." Malfoy stopped her by raising his hand.

"Snape told me not to go there. I trust him."

At that moment Mrs Granger walked into the room carrying a tray laden with food, as if response both Malfoy's and Hermione's stomach grumbled, Mrs Granger laughed "I thought you two might be hungry. Do you want it on the bed or floor?" she asked, then looked at Malfoy who had turned around for the first time, gasping she dropped the tray the only thing that stopped it's collision with the floor were Hermione's quick reflexes with a wand.

"Those Bastards!" she cursed as she moved towards her daughter's guest managing to bring a ghost of a smile to Malfoy's lips. "Right." She said in a business tone "You mister, sit. Hermione give the man his food and then tell your father to bring me the blue first aid box from the Rover. After you can sit with your friend and eat while we'll see how to make him better." Hermione turned to look at Malfoy who just shrugged at her "Am I talking to myself? Move." With Dr Granger in control Hermione left to do as she was told.

Her mother would help Malfoy.

She would know what to do.

Thank Merlin for mothers!

"Miss Hermione Jane Granger!" Her mother exclaimed startling everyone "Please tell me that lovely _Satin_ dress that is _thrown_ on your floor. Is _n__ot_ the dress you are going to wear to your fathers function?" Hermione looked to where her mother pointed. On her floor by the wardrobe still in its bag of purchase was indeed the dress she had bought for the event.

"Erm... I'm a witch, I can sort it with a flick of my wand."

"You maybe a witch but that does not mean you can just leave clothes in a heap." Her mother scolded.

"Mum, it's not like I can go is it. I'm not leaving Malfoy by himself and I don't think you are going to stay home. Are you?" Hermione tried to reason. Dr Granger was shocked, she looked from her husband who was cleaning away the bloody bandages to Malfoy who was looking at the floor and lastly to her daughter who was sitting next to the boy.

"First of all." She started making Hermione grown inwardly "His name is Draco, its bad manners to call someone just by their last name if you know them. Secondly, this is your father's night and we_ will_ be by his side smiling with our lovely teeth. Finally, did you really think that I would leave this gentleman here alone? He will come with us, where we will all have a lovely time. Isn't that right Draco?"

Malfoy looked up at her and stuttered. "Ye...yes ma'am?" Mrs Granger smiled at him. "Good, David." she addressed her husband "Let's pick out a suit for our daughters guest shall we, as she so helpfully reminded us. She's a witch so any wrong measurements she can sort it a 'flick of her wand'" Mr Granger followed his wife out of his daughter's room but not before laughing. "She's got you there sweetie!"

"How are you?" Draco asked her after a while when she had stopped complaining about mothers. Hermione sat there stunned before she turned to him "Me! You've had lord knows what done to you and your asking how I'm doing... I should be asking you." For the first time since she could remember Draco actually smiled at her.

"Your mum reminds me of you." He said, Hermione stared daggers at him "Your on_ very_ thin ice Draco I don't think you want to finish that sentence" Draco just smiled and shook his head. "Do you really want to go?" she asked seriously, if he didn't she would stand up to her mother but surprisingly Draco said "I think it should be fine, I mean it's something about teeth. What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next few days Hermione did her best to keep Draco busy, from just silly things from helping her mother cook dinner (the electronic whisk was really funny) to teaching him about the telephone, using the microwave, computers (they bought him some more clothes online) and TV and DVD's, there was a really funny evening when her father announced at the dinner table he was going to make it his sole mission to make sure Draco knew about the important people in music history, Hermione nearly wet herself.

He really was a quick learner she was surprised to learn, she just thought of him as a bully who probably got other students to do his work for him at school. She wore his brain out every night then before they went to sleep she'd let him pick any film he wanted to watch and they'd sit there in silence until Draco fell asleep. She would always wait until he had drifted off before she let herself get comfortable in her blow up bed.

Draco was starting to look healthy again, he'd put a bit of weight on him bones, his bruising had gone down a lot, also his cuts were slowly beginning to scab over which meant he was recovering, much to Hermione's parents delight who checked on him every day. Now when they walked through the door in the evenings after work it was no longer 'Honey we're home' it was 'guy's we're home' Hermione thought they were getting a little attached!

The day of her father's function arrived, at six o'clock Hermione left Draco in her room with the suit her father had bought for him while she went into the bathroom to change into her form fitting dress. Thirty minutes later she was outside her bedroom door "Draco are you dressed?" she asked not wanting to walk in on him. "Err... I think so." he mumbled, Hermione let herself in and smiled at him. David Granger had picked out the best suit. As black as coal with a white shirt and no tie he looked amazing, he wasn't the same guy she found just over a week ago.

She laughed when she looked at his face "Don't look so awkward. You look great while I on the other hand have to try and do something with this thing that's called hair!"

* * *

Draco was very quite during the taxi ride Hermione didn't know if this was because tonight was his first night out since what happened just over a week ago or because her dad kept up a running commentary throughout the ride, she hoped it was the latter. Twenty minutes later they arrived at their destination in the heart of London. Her parents looked brilliant, her mother was wearing a purple dress with blue embroidery along the hem while her dad wore the same as Draco except he wore a tie.

Hermione tried to enjoy herself, her mother had been right (as normal) there were good looking men there but Hermione couldn't seem to take her eyes away from a certain blonde. Draco stood with her father sipping champagne from the champagne flute smiling but not talking. "Are you okay sweetie?" asked her mother appearing out of nowhere startling her daughter. "I don't know. Part of me is just waiting for him to crack." She answered honestly "Another part is waiting for _me_ to break." Mrs Granger pulled her daughter close to her body and kissed her forehead. "Before anyone decides to break I think we better save Draco and your father from that awful Dr Jackson!" Looking across the now crowed hall Hermione could make out her father looking uncomfortable talking with a rather old and chubby man.

"Arh ... Mrs Granger there you are, I was just asking your husband after you." said Dr James Jackson, a man of 60 years of age who still thought of himself as the rugby stud from yesteryear. Looking at his face Hermione was sure he had more Botox then white blood cells.

"As I've told your before James, call me Dr not Mrs Granger I've worked extra hard for that title." Her mother said taking the man's hand in a firm hand shake. "Anyway, now I'm here and I see you've already met out daughters guest Mr Malfoy, this is my daughter Hermione." she said. Dr Jackson took Hermione's hand while looking her over from head to toe making her feel like a piece of meat. "My you have grown." he said above the music, finally giving her her hand back.

"Hermione, Draco why don't you two love birds meet and greet!" Her father said smiling. Hermione snapped her eye's to her father _LOVE BIRDS! _How much had he had to drink? Draco came over to her side "Come on sweetheart." He said placing a hand on the small of her back and gently pushing her away from her parents and Dr Jackson. Hermione was in complete shock. "Your dad's a funny man." Draco said once they were out of ear shot, he laughed at the look on her face. "Your father told me of that fat man with the funny face, how he will go after any female who is single no matter the age. So he made you attached." he explained, Hermione shook her head. "It's the bloody dress I knew I should have picked the black." She muttered to herself.

A few hours later and Hermione needed to get some fresh air she'd drank slightly too much champagne and it started to make her feel light headed and hot. As she was making her way outside her father asked Draco to accompany her. "Sorry about them." She apologized to him but he shrugged it off holding the door open for her. "At first I thought they were just going to talk about teeth!" he confessed making Hermione laugh "Your parent's are alright." he said as an afterthought as the cool night air hit Hermione "You say that now, but let's see if you'd say that after 19 years with them!" she joked.

Hermione looked at Draco but the look on his face froze her heart. He was standing beside her facing the street, his face had gone the colour of chalk, his mouth moved but no sound came out.

Draco Malfoy was absolutely terrified.

Hermione followed his line of sight to a person across the other side of the road. A man in his late thirties early forties with a steel walking stick, the only thing distinctive about him was a deep ugly scar that was highlighted from the streetlight. The scar ran from the side of his mouth to near the tip of his ear. She didn't know what had happened but seeing Draco that way sobered her up faster that any potion could have.

"Get inside now" she told him giving him a push towards the door, her eyes followed him until he went in the men's toilet. Hermione turned her attention back to the man that had caused the blonde haired boy's terror. As if sensing he was under someone's gaze he stopped walking and turned his face towards her, when he saw Hermione he looked her over and smiled which made his face seem half missing. She felt her blood run cold for reasons she could not explain, shuddering she went back inside the building, making sure that no one was around she slipped into the men's room.

"Draco?" she called, her heels clicking on the tiled floor as she checked each cubical, she found him in the last one. Crying. She went inside closing the door behind her "I'll tell mum and dad we are going home. Okay?" She said, running a hand through his hair as he nodded.

She heard the men's room door open and she knew it was the man from outside, not because of the noise his walking stick was making or the fact that Draco started violently shaking she just knew. "Lady in Red!" sang a hoarse voice; Hermione's mouth opened "Come out, come out. Don't play hard to get!" What in the fuck was he insinuating? She thought anger and indignation ran through her like live currents. She could hear him opening cubical doors.

Taking her wand out of her clutch purse she grabbed Draco and apperated them home, the last sound's she heard in that bathroom before she left was the hoarse voice saying "Baby I got a hard - "

* * *

Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling


	6. Chapter 6

"Who the fuck was that!" Hermione exploded as soon as she and Draco had apparated to her bedroom. She began pacing the floor as Draco sat down on the bed. "What did he think I... Why did he? ARH!" She ripped the dress in her haste to remove it from her body, "Close your eyes." She demanded of Draco, but she needn't have worried he had his head buried in his hands. Hermione threw the dress on the floor and pulled a pair of jeans and t-shirt out of the wardrobe she also took out a baggy hoody, once these where all on she felt slight more clam, but just.

She sat on the floor, "It's your turn to speak Draco." she informed the boy. Draco didn't look up at her but he shook his head "I can't." He mumbled. Taking a deep breath as to not strangle the young man in front of her she said. "Draco, I can't help if you don't open up to me."

At this he looked at her, his face running with tears "He ... he did those things to... me." Hermione was just about to comfort him with a hug but she stopped.

That man with the walking stick?

Was he a Death Eater?

Why would he be in muggle London?

Muggle London ... Her parents!

"Draco why was he there?" She asked trying not to let the panic cloud her mind, "I don't know." He said, Hermione jumped up in frustration making Draco flinch. "Will he attack the muggles?" Draco didn't answer her, he was staring were she was sitting a few minutes before. "For fuck sake Draco my parents are there. Will he attack?" she shouted.

Draco stood up so fast Hermione took an involuntary step back. "HOW THE HELL DO I KNOW?" He yelled, "Do you think I have deep conversations with the muggle who was torturing me? Who killed the only man I ever really looked up to?" He continued to shout.

Hermione was completely stunned "A muggle did that to you? I thought it was Death Eaters." She said in a calm voice, "He did it under Bella's orders." Draco replied not looking at her, he walked over to her bedroom window that looked over the garden. Hermione didn't understand but she didn't want to push him.

"Snape and I had been on the run for a while when we heard that the Dark Lord was overthrown. You see when the Dark Lord gives you an order, you have to complete it. Snape knew that I not killing Dumbledore was going to go down like a ton of bricks with the _faithful;_ they would say I didn't know my place so Snape took me away. I didn't know where we were most of the time, we kept changing location every other day. The Dark Lord has his spies. Then we found out the news, the Dark Lord was dead. Gone. Finished. We thought we might be able to go home. Fat chance of that happening. The Dark Lord had an heir if you can call it that. Someone who he had trained himself. Bellatix Leastrange."

Hermione didn't say anything although her heart was racing, she just continued to watch Draco's back as she walked over to him.

"Bella thought it was a personal insult that a member of her family couldn't carry out an order from the Dark Lord and had to have help! It was her who found us. We were in some dirty little inn when the door bursts open and in she walks; we hadn't put up any wards since the Dark Lord's death. Stupid really." He added as an afterthought. "She had this man with her. _'I known where you have been for a while little nephew, I just hadn't thought of a good punishment then but now it came to me... What better way to teach the boy who couldn't kill the muggle lover than to give him a taste of what muggle pain is!'_"

Hermione gasped and reached a hand out to him placing it gently on his shoulder,

"She left us then, having broken our wands she left us to that ... that ...that man," Draco spat. "He had these things he but on my wrist and on the bed so that I couldn't move, then he did the same to Snape. He never spoke. We were there for months. One of his favourite things to do was to pour boiling hot water on his metal cane and then place it on our skin. He burnt all the hair on Snape's leg's using this little thing that you click and fire appears. He used this rough paper thing and he used to run it up and down up and down up and down, all along where the Dark mark was till it bled, he would put out him cigarettes around my underarm's. He would -" Draco stopped so Hermione gently turned him around to face her.

"You got away Draco." She told him in case he had forgotten and was reliving the past.

"I didn't get away. She let us go." he must have seen the confusion on her face for he explained "My mum found us, the man went out the room then a few minutes later she last walks in. Took off the metal things holding us to the bed. I had never been so happy to see her in all my short life." He laughed dryly "That was before she told me I was disowned from the family, I did not deserve to be a Malfoy I should have a least died like dad not run away, then do you know what she said?" He asked Hermione but not waiting for an answer he continued.

"_'If I see you again Draco I will not hesitate to kill you. You are no longer my_ _son!'_ then she left. We didn't get far before that man came back with this black thing points it at me but Snape pushed me aside. I think he knew what it was. There was this loud noise then Snape doubled over he grabbed and the next thing I know we are in some dirty ally he has blood ... I didn't know what to do but then you appear..."

Hermione did not know what to say after that. She knew something bad had happened to Draco she just never expected it to be so emotionally and physically wrong. "That's not a mother, she has no right to have children, and how could she even think that all that pure blood shit is worth it?" she said to herself. Hermione looked Draco in the eye, "You do realise I'm going to have to go to the order now, they need to know that Leastrange is in charge and that they are using muggle weapons. I'm going to have to tell them about you." He nodded "We'll go first thing in the morning; first I need to phone dad and tell him to come home now!" She cupped his chin "I said I'll look after you and I will." She promised.

At 8 o'clock exactly on Sunday morning Hermione and Draco arrived outside the Burrow. She didn't think Harry or Ron would be up at this time. Hermione could smell Mrs Weasley cooking and a smile spread across her face, she had happy memories in this home.

Knocking on the wooden door Hermione could hear movement before she heard Mrs Weasley ask nervously "Who is it?" Hermione smiled, "Hermione with a friend." She replied she could hear Mr and Mrs Weasley trying to think of a question to ask her.

"Mr Weasley you've once asked me how to work a microwave and Mrs Weasley, for a while when I was in fourth year you didn't like me, you believed the papers that I was playing with Harry's heart!" Hermione actually laughed at the memory.

The door opened and Mrs Weasley looking slightly flush gave Hermione a hug "It's good to - "

"Malfoy?!" exclaimed Mr Weasley cutting off his wife and making Draco flinch.

"Mr Weasley. Arthur." Hermione said, "Could we please come inside there is something I need to ask." Mrs Weasley looked deathly pale

"I will not have him in my house!" Mr Weasley said his voice getting louder.

"As a member of the Order and as a friend I'm asking you to let us in, I understand that you have no reason to trust Draco but I would have thought that you know you can trust me." Hermione said getting more than slightly pissed off. Breathing deeply Arthur let them pass into his home but he never took his eyes off Draco.

"I need you to call at meeting with the Order, Arthur. I will explain everything then and only then. I sorry for disrupting your Sunday." She finished, Mr Weasley went about informing members while Molly finished the breakfast, "Is it okay if I go wake up Ron and Harry?" She asked Molly nodded not looking at her.

Draco and Hermione made their way up the many stairs, Hermione found the room the boys normally slept in and opened the door, Draco stood in the doorway. The room smelled of sleep and testosterone. Ron was lying diagonally across his bed the only way to fit his tall frame on while Harry looked peaceful and content in his own bed, she supposed being free of Voldemort could do that.

Having a sixth sense survival skill Harry woke up and placed his glasses on the bridge of his nose "Herm?" he asked doing a double take, she smiled at him, Harry jumped out of bed and engulfed her in a hug.

"Why are you here? Are you okay? Your parents?" he asked, pulling back to look at her, his eye's conveying his concerns. Hermione was heartened by his concern, she didn't realise how much she missed the scruffy haired man in front of her, cupping his face she kissed the corner of his mouth then threw her arms around his strong shoulder's "God, I've missed you!" she said desperately, Harry picking up on her raw emotions hugged her tighter. After a while Hermione let go of her friend and gave a quick glance behind her, Draco had gone.

Hermione turned her attention to the sleeping red head on the double bed before her. Smiling she jumped on his bed shouting "Wake up Ron, it's Christmas!" Ron sat up in bed looking completely lost "Christmas? What? Hermione? What?" He asked bewildered. Harry and Hermione laughed at their friend, Hermione half leapt, half fell on top of him to give him a hug.

"Hermione!" They hugged each other fiercely rolling around on the bed until they heard a cough behind them and Harry said "If you guys want some alone time?" Hermione blushed untangling herself from Ron. "Shut up Harry." Ron said. "I've called a meeting." She started to say from the look in the boy's faces she knew they were going to ask questions so she held her hand up in front of her face, "I'll explain everything downstairs I just wanted to wake you up."

Hermione left them to get dressed while she waited outside the bedroom with Draco, "You do know they won't be happy to see me." Draco stated the obvious, a few minutes later the door opened and the boys came out, they stopped as soon as they saw Draco "Send it back!" Ron growled. "Send what back?" Hermione asked the tall red head confused.

"If that's my Christmas present send it back. Or better yet give it to Bill!" Hermione stepped in front of Draco "Ronald Weasley if you try anything I will turn you green, just to clash with your hair!" Ron gasped while a smile played on the corner of Harry's lips. "I take it you can explain everything Hermione." Harry said and Hermione beamed at him "Like there was ever any doubt!"

Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling


	7. Chapter 7

"Why didn't you tell us Hermione?" asked McGonagall.

They were all sitting in the Weasley's kitchen. Lupin, Tonks, Mad - Eye, McGonagall, Fred, George and Shaklebolt. "Look, I know that you all think what I did was wrong but I don't care. I did what I thought was right and I would do it again" She said to the room.

"So when do I get to question the prisoner?" Mad - Eye asked looking to McGonagall and Shaklebolt.

"Over my dead body!" Hermione said raising from her chair and looking at Moody straight in both eyes.

"You must be a silly little girl if you think that I'm going to take his word at face value." Moody snarled. Before she knew what she was doing she had her wand in her hand, it wasn't pointing at Moody but it might as well have been. Moody raised an eyebrow at her. "This is the reason I didn't want to bring Draco to _you_. If what he says is not what you want to hear then it must be a lie! You're all about truth, by force" The room went deadly quite, Ron had his mouth open.

Draco who sat next to Hermione slowly raised his hand and placed it over hers and gently pulled her back into her chair. Lupin stood up and looked at Hermione and Draco. "I'm sorry if you think that Hermione, we all know how smart and intelligent you are. However you brought Mr Malfoy here, so you must have realised that we were going to have to question him. At this moment the Order has so little information that anything we do get we need to triple check. Mr Malfoy will you consent to being questioned under Veritaserum?" Lupin asked the blonde haired guy, everyone stared at Draco; he looked up at his former professor before nodding.

While Tonks went to get the truth serum Harry, Ron, Fred and George came over to her. "Hermione! Taking on Moody-"

"You've got some really big balls or -"

"You've lost your mind!"

The twins joked sneaking glances at the man with the revolving eye, Hermione laughed shaking her head. "You've never met her mother!" Draco said, the first words he'd spoke to them since leaving the boy's bedroom, Hermione gave him a playful shove in the shoulder then froze. Harry's hand was outstretched towards the onetime Slytherin Prince "I can't promise I can be playful with you like Hermione is but I believe you and I'll try and make an effort. Plus I doubt Hermione has ever been wrong." Harry said, Hermione was grinning like a Chester cat as Draco took his hand in a firm hand shake. "Thanks" Draco replied. "We are ready for you Mr Malfoy." Lupin called

After the first meeting thing went a little smoother. Draco and Hermione drew images of the scar man. Once Harry was seen to make an effort with Draco everyone else didn't complain (in Hermione's hearing.) Mr Weasley let the pair stay under his roof and after Draco apologized profusely again for what happened that night in Hogwarts Mrs Weasley made it her mission to fatten him up! Hermione knew Mrs Weasley was happy with an official excuse to mother someone.

A few days turned into a few weeks, Hermione always kept an eye on Draco even popped into his room when he was asleep to make sure he wasn't having a nightmare. Shaklebolt made sure that Draco got a new wand, Harry and Ron let him play in the odd game of Quidditch (even if Ron was sometimes more rough than normal.)

Mr and Mrs Granger were slightly upset that Hermione and Draco were going to stay at the Burrow but made them promise to pop around on Christmas for presents and breakfast.

"Are you ready?" asked Draco, they were alone in the bedroom Hermione was using. A couple of days ago Draco asked if he could pay Hermione back, he could teach her Occlumency and Legilimency, at the thought of new knowledge Hermione accepted at once.

"It's best if you learn to block you mind first." Draco informed her. Using his new wand he got into her mind quickly images flashed in front of her eyes

-Professor McGonagall at her house informing her about Hogwarts - _Wonder!_

- Riding a pink bike - _Joy!_

- Running a hand along Victor's bare chest - _Nervously excited!_

- Getting a letter informing her about being Prefect - _Fulfilment!_

- Getting O's in all but one exam - _Contentment!_

- Ron's body lying on top of hers - _Passion!_

- Waking after the basilisk attack - _Relief and Joy!_

- Gryffindor winning the House Cup again- _Excitement!_

The memories stopped and her vision cleared, Hermione found herself sitting on her bed and breathing heavily, Draco had his wand by his side and there was a slight blush grazing his cheeks. "Are you okay?" He asked her, Hermione looked up at him "I thought they were going to be bad memories?" she said, Draco nodded "I thought you might want to start with happy memories first to ease you in." he answered. Hermione shook her head. "I don't want you to go easy on me."

A few minutes later and they were at it again.

Harry falling through the air during Quidditch - Fear

Malfoy calling her a mudblood - _Loathing_

Ron being dragged by the Grim - _Disbelief_

Attack at Hogwarts -_ Horror_

Attack at the World Cup - _Anger, Fear_

Harry holding onto the dead body of Cedrick Diggery after the Triwizard Tournament - _Disbelief, Horror, Fear_

"STOP!" She heard a voice yell that wasn't her own. Hermione was on the floor crying her heart out when she felt a pair or arms surround her. It was Ron. "It's okay Hermione." He said gently to her as he cradled her in his arm's "What did you do to her you bastard?" he yelled, Hermione opened her eyes.

Draco was against the wall Harry had his wand pointing at the blonde boy's jugular "I'm fine Harry leave him alone." When he didn't move Hermione turned to Ron "Draco did not hurt me. He was trying to teach me how to block my mind. I just saw some things I had forgotten about." Taking a calming breath Hermione stood moving out of Ron's arms. Draco had not taken him eyes off Hermione.

Harry lowered his wand "Why do you want to learn occlumency?" He asked still not taking him green eyes off Draco. "If Snape could do it stands to reason that other Death Eater's can. I'm just trying to stay ahead." She informed him; Ron laughed "She's alright Harry."

Once Harry and Ron left the room Draco took a step closer to her, "If you don't want to do this anymore that's fine, you don't have to." Hermione gave him a playful nudge with her hip, "Draco Malfoy. Turning down a chance to make a muggle born Gryffindor suffer, that's not very Slytherin of you!" she joked; Draco shoved her back "Fine. However we are going to start with happier memories first. Once you've blocked them then you should be able to block the bad ones no problem."

It took Hermione three weeks to learn both Occlumency and Legilimency, she found Legilimency the hardest to learn it was not like opening a book and skimming the contents, the other person's emotions played a big part in understanding if they were lying you couldn't always get a picture. Well, you could but only if they couldn't block their mind. When she tried with Draco (asking about his childhood) she could feel the constant pressure of failure. Hermione was glad to find the Draco was a good teacher she even hoped that Harry and Ron might want to learn these useful skills but she didn't quite know how to question them.

The Weasley household was busy once more with the run up to Christmas, Hermione was happy to have Ginny back even if the conversations would always seem to come back to Harry. It was nice to have a girl near her own age around. Hermione did notice that Ginny seemed to taken a leaf out of the twin's book and become wilder, "Come on you guys when have we ever gone out?" Ginny moaned again, "We go out all the time!" Ron replied, they had this discussion a lot.

Hermione, Draco, Ginny, Harry and Ron were sitting on the floor in the living room. "Don't you think we have done enough grown up shit to last a life time. We are _teenagers_! We are meant to party and have a laugh and get drunk, make fools of ourselves." She looked around the group "I'd go with you." Everyone turned to Draco shocked that he had spoken "Really? Why?" asked Hermione looking at him, "It's like she says-" He started.

"She is Ginny!" Ginny cut in

"It's like Ginny say's, what if you spend all your teenage years acting like a 40 years old or something, all the fun things in life will you pass you by. When you're old you'll sit and think back. _What exactly have I done_, apart from save the world? I think you'll become a resentful grumpy old person and end up hating young people how were out there doing the things that you never." He finished looking at Ron, the room was quite Hermione reached out and squeezed Draco's leg, he looked at her and smiled.

"I agree with Draco." She said letting go of him "Yep me too." Harry replied, Ron nodded his approval. "But there will be NO 'getting drunk' from you." He looked pointedly at Ginny. Ginny was beaming at the group. "I think we should go out New Years Eve! I'll invite Luna. This is going to be so good." She stood up from the carpet making her way to the door "Thanks' Draco!" she shouted over her shoulder. "I'll keep an eye on her Ron." Harry said looking at his friend before he also left "Who will keep an eye on him keeping an eye on her?" Ron asked frowning at Draco and Hermione, the two laughed at the red head.

Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione was woken up on Christmas morning to a knock at her door, "Go away." she mumbled in to her pillow. Ginny had kept her up most of last night and this morning talking about what she was going to wear and all other types of stuff to do with New Years Eve, if Hermione knew she was going to lose so much sleep she would never had agreed with the rest of them to go out at all!

She heard the bedroom door open and Hermione opened an eye to look at the intruder, Draco stood by the door dressed in jeans and a shirt "What?" she crocked closing her eyes hoping he would go and let her sleep.

"Your parents are expecting us for breakfast. So" he said walking over to her "I'm making sure you're up." After grumping something abusive she threw the covers off her warm body and stood up, resting her head on Draco's shoulder. "I apologize in advance for anything I do that is cranky or mean. You can blame it on Ginny." She informed him, pulling away slightly she looked up at him.

"You are going to be alright today?" she asked suddenly serious,

"I'll be fine. Stop worrying it will make you grey." he laughed at her reaction. "Merry Christmas Hermione." he said leaning down to place a gentle kiss on her lips before he walked out the room.

_He_ kissed _her_.

On the lips. Not the cheek the lips

The kiss couldn't be classed as a peck; his lips were on hers for far too long.

Hermione stood there in the bedroom, a finger absently tracing her lips she was wide awake now, and rather flush.

Why did he kiss her?

Did it mean anything?

Did she want it to?

These were the questions she kept thinking over as she got dressed.

Draco and Hermione apparated to her bedroom in her parents' house, they made their way down stairs into the kitchen where they found Mr Granger singing Christmas songs as he drank some Champagne and cooked breakfast he stopped, noticing them.

"Hermione! Draco! Merry Christmas." he beamed at the pair. "Merry Christmas dad, where is mum?" she asked hugging him. "She's getting dressed." He informed them pouring two glasses of Bucks Fizz, "If you two set the table we'll have food and then we can start on the presents." He told them turning back to the cooker "Why are we drinking alcohol so early in the morning?" Draco whispered as he set the mats around the table

"It's Christmas. You have to try mum's Christmas cocktail its vodka, cranberry liqueur a bit of lime and cranberry juice it's so good." Draco gave her a funny look. "Christmas is their favourite time of year, everyone at home eating lots of sweets damaging their teeth. It always means business will be good from the New Year it's their celebration to high sugared sweets, you should see them at Easter!!" she confessed. "And they try making all these different cocktails, which as always fun." She added as an afterthought.

"Merry Christmas darling" they heard Mrs Granger say as she walked into the kitchen, she didn't notice them she was talking to her husband "You should have joined me in the shower, I was lonely." she said as she kissed him. Hermione felt her cheeks burn, Draco coughed.

"Oh your here!" Mrs Granger smiled at them she walked over placed a kiss on Hermione's forehead "Draco look at you. You're so handsome we must find you someone to kiss under the mistletoe." she said. Both Draco and Hermione reached for their glasses Bucks Fizz and downed it.

After breakfast (and one and a half bottles of Champaign) they all sat around the Christmas tree. Hermione was happy with the presents she had opened so far, Draco was a little shocked when he was given presents from her parents even though he had bought some for them. When there was only a few gifts left Mrs Granger stood up

"David lets sort out more drink. Let's try that Christmas Cheer, I think we have some white wine" taking her husband's hand they walked (well really it was more of a sway) out of the living room.

Hermione gave her present to Draco "Thank you." he said, Hermione laughed "You haven't even opened it yet!" He peeled off the wrapping, when the gift was revealed he looked at her confused.

"It's an I-pod, all them CD's dad got you, they up can be loaded up into this little thing and you can listen to whenever you want." she explained, She also got him a silver ring with 'D' on it, Draco wore it straight away. Draco then picked up a gift and handed it to her, it was quite heavy, "I'll never be able to repay you for everything you have done to me but I hope you like this."

Intrigued Hermione ripped the coloured paper off, inside was a book it was completely black Hermione looked at the spine _A History of Magic - Bathilda Bagshot_ was imprinted in gold. This was one of Hermione's favourite books but she'd never seen a cover like this one opening it up she gasped

"A first edition! It's signed! This must have cost a fortune!" She exclaimed Draco shrugged his shoulders "Bill helped me get my money out. So do you like it?"

Hermione laughed but looking up at Draco she realised he really wanted to know, he didn't know how much this meant to her, this was the first ever magical book she ever read this book opened her up to the life she had now, her friends.

She leant over and kissed him not like the kiss he had given her earlier that morning but a deep kiss, she cupped his face letting her fingertips trace his soft skin, she felt his tongue tentatively touch her lips and she parted hers without hesitation meeting him touch for touch. When they finally parted their lips, they still kept their forehead and noses touching she felt him smile

"So that's a yes, right?"

Later that evening they arrived outside the Burrow later than they planned, they took a sip of potion before they had left to try and sober up but it didn't seem to be working as fast as normal, maybe there was a use by date on it? They had left their presents back at her parents' house promising to come around every soon, her parents were completely wasted and she thought it really funny. She didn't think they would in the morning.

So instead of apparating straight inside the house they decided to appear outside the front door, from inside she could hear popping noises that she thought were crackers and laughter, it was quite loud but then it might have been the drink, it was all sounds that should come with Christmas.

"So" She said leaning against the door "So" Draco repeated taking a step nearer, "How's your Christmas been so far?" She asked, he smirked, and this was the first time she had seen him smirk since school. "I have no complaints so far, I think your parents liked my presents." He said Hermione nodded "I think dad wants to adopt you!" She joked "Should we go in now?" She asked him indicating the door behind her "Are we going to talk about what happened earlier?" He asked her. He bent slightly and placed his forehead on hers.

"Tomorrow. We'll talk tomorrow when there is no alcohol in our body." She told him, he brought his lips forward so he could kiss her, her hands automatically went behind his neck while he placed his on her waist. She pulled away and he groaned "Let's go in before they send out a search party." She turned around and knocked on the door, Draco dropped his hands. She could hear lots of talking and she had to knock again to be heard "Who is it?" shouted Fred "its Draco and Hermione." Draco shouted in reply, the door was thrown open and they walked into pandemonium.

There were so many people in the house and more than half of them she didn't know Draco took hold of her waist again from shock, before she could question Fred there was a flash of bright light and a pop, she couldn't see, "What the Hell?" Hermione said, when her vision came back she realised that it had been someone taking a photo.

"I'm ever so _slightly_ drunk and they want to flash a bright blinding light in my eye!" Draco snapped.

"Draco! Hermione!" She heard Ginny call but they couldn't see her.

"She's on the stairs" Draco informed her being able to see over most of the heads in the room. Weaving their way over to the younger girl Hermione demanded "What in the world is going on I thought it was friends and family only?"

Ginny partially growled "They are calling it - **Harry Potter, One Year On** - I know really original sounds like a book. The Daily Prophet wanted to be here for Harry's first Christmas since Voldemort and once they were told it was okay everyone who's any one wanted to come!" Hermione was confused but Draco voiced what was going through her mind.

"Harry Potter would never give an interview with that paper let alone allow them into your home!" Ginny was nodding "We all know that but they asked Percy if it would okay and he said yes without letting anyone know. But they all brought wine, and firewhisky. Plus we just found out Fleur is up the duff so it's a time to celebrate and get drunk, but by the look of you two I'd say your nearly there!" she laughed.

"Hermione you're back!" Ron and Harry came out of the crowd. "If that man asks me one more time to show a little more scar I'm going to shove his camera up his arse! The only plus side is that Rita Skeeter ain't here I think even Percy knows where we stand with_ that_ one" Harry fumed. They were all standing at the bottom on the stairs looking over the madness.

"Fred and George are going to give them a '_treat_' later on to take home with them." Everyone knew that the_ treats_ were going to be more interesting than anything they could come up with, they all laughed as different images popped in their head. There was a bright light, a pop and they were blind. Again. Harry groaned, and then everything was visible again. Ron was looking around the room.

"This is all completely fucked! I'm staying upstairs; call me when they've gone." He started to make his way up the stairs.

"I'm coming!" shouted Harry, Draco, Ginny and Hermione all at once following him upstairs and into the Ginny's bedroom. "Wait I'll be back." Ginny said popping out of the room she returned a few minutes later carrying two full bottles of firewhiskey and levitating 5 glasses.

"Merry Christmas!" They all cheered

Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling


	9. Chapter 9

Everyone had a hang over after Christmas, Hermione and Draco never did have that talk neither one wanted to be the first person to speak, so they put it down to alcohol. However Hermione kept finding herself looking at him and she was sure he was looking at her.

The Daily Prophets had one of their best selling copies, on the front page was a photo of Harry (with enough scar showing) Ron, Hermione Ginny and Draco all standing next to each other laughing over something none of them could now remember.

Moody was not happy about Draco being in the papers at all but no one paid him an mind (well the teenagers didn't) "You've just let everyone no he is alive and that he is with us!" Moody shouted on more than one occasion. The reason they were not paying attention to him was because all of their thought were on the New Years Eve party.

Fleur was taking them to a night club which was meant to be brilliant, Luna had said she would also come. Ron had wanted to invite their old school friends but Harry said that it wasn't a clever move if they had Draco with them. Ginny was so excited she finally stopped talking about Harry. Another plus was that they were all going to crash at Grimmauld Place after the party they didn't want to disturb the Weasley's anymore then they had to.

On New Year's Eve the Weasley home was turned into a mad house. The girls were doing their hair and makeup. The house was full of different smells from perfumes and aftershaves; Mrs Weasley was ironing shirts, again.

Hermione was in the living room waiting for everyone else, Luna and Ginny had bullied her into wearing a short black dress, she was overly conscious of how much leg she was showing but on a plus the silver high heels she was wearing gave her calf a shape she loved. Stealing a quick glace of herself in the mirror Hermione was really happy with her makeup, she'd gone for a dramatic look, dark eye shadow lots of mascara but she had silver glitter on her cheekbones and some in her hair as well.

"Wow, Hermione. I swear if I was not married." Bill said startling Hermione, he stood in the doorway with Harry and Draco looking her up and down, Hermione felt her cheeks flush "If ou weren't married zot?" came a voice from behind the men. Fleur had chosen that moment to appear, Bill turned to see his wife in a floor length gold dress with

"Well we'll never know because I'm a happily married man with a baby on the way, however by looking over you I think I should come just to keep other men away from my wife!" he said making Fleur smile "I'll be 'ome early" she said. "Come on Hermione, we're going now!" Ginny called by the front door.

When they finally arrived at their location Hermione was shocked at how long the line of people was, surly if they waited in it it would be after midnight before they even got in! Fleur didn't even bat an eyelid she walked straight up to the man on the door pointed back at the group and then waved them forward; they all followed her in through the club doors passed the stares of the people in the queue.

The vibrations from the speakers travelled through her body as she walked past the troll sized bouncer into the place that words couldn't even begin to describe. Everything was light, bright and colourful. People were everywhere. Booths and couches were around the wall, the bar seemed to be made of glass, and it looked as if there was fish swimming in it! Hermione could just make out a stage in the front of the place.

"Oh my God!" Ginny shouted above the music. She grabbed Luna's arm and marched her on to the flashing dance floor, "Should I find us some place to sit?" asked Ron looking around the place. Fleur shook her head giving him a look that screamed 'Are you stupid?'

"Do ou no ow ou are?" She said stepping closer to Harry, Ron Hermione and Draco, not waiting for an answer she continued. "Ou are Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, everybody knows who ou are. Ou do not av to pay for anything, it vill all be free!" She said, looking at them all.

Hermione felt uncomfortable, she knew that they were well known, she knew Harry had a huge following if the fan mail was anything to go by but that didn't mean that they deserved to get free things. She was about to tell Fleur this but when she looked up the French woman was gone, "I don't know if I agree with this," Harry said leaning into the group, "I think it's great!" Ron beamed.

"You do realise the only reason you are getting things free is because you are alive and that you survived." Draco pointed out as Ginny and Luna came back to the group "What's up?" The red head asked looking at Harry and Hermione's faces. They never got a chance to explain as Fleur had returned bringing a man in a dark suit with her "Dis is Joshua, Joshua you must know Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger." She said indicating them all in turn.

"And Luna Lovegood" Ron added clearly annoyed that she had forgotten. Joshua shook all of their hands. "Welcome, I'm the manager of Adore. Can I just say it is an honour to have you in our establishment! Let me show you to out V.I.P section." He turned around and started to walk towards the back of the club, Hermione was between Ron and Draco she noticed that some of the party goers had stopped to look at them a few must have known who they were because they were looking and pointing.

Joshua lead them up some stair's that were guarded by trolls into a room that was nothing that Hermione had ever seen before.

The floor was white, there were white leather couches dotted around big fluffy red rugs, red silk sheets hung from the wall, you could see out to the dance floor below through the glass window that ran the whole of one side of the room. By the bar were statues of people dancing made from ice, it took Hermione's breath away it was so beautiful "Wow!" She heard Ron say from in front of her. There were a few people also up there but with the silk draped over the room it felt really private.

Stopping at set of chairs Joshua stopped "Please let me know if there is anything you might need or want we are only too happy to help. As you can see you have your own dance floor and bar we also have a set a bathrooms upstairs so you don't have to go downstairs with everyone else. Please enjoy yourself and have a happy new year." Bowing slightly he left them there "He was brown nosing, what is going on? Why are we in V.I.P?" Ginny asked

"Let's not talk about it, we can talk tomorrow. Luna do you wanna dance?" Harry asked, while the rest of them sat down. "I think Ginny would prefer it if you asked her." Luna said in her normal honest way. Laughing slightly Harry looked to Ginny, "Shall we?" Ginny stood in her midnight blue strapless dress taking his hand and they walked to the centre of the room where they were lost between the other people.

"I am going to get myself an alcohol free cocktail vold anybody else like sumething?" Fleur asked getting up, Luna followed her."I bet she's going to come back with water for us." Ron said before he too got up and followed them leaving Hermione and Draco sitting next to each other.

"Well I never thought we'd be in V.I.P, I still haven't decided if it's a good thing yet." Hermione confessed to Draco who nodded his agreement "Let's just get drunk and have a good time, I want to let my hair down it seems like ages since I've gone out. As long as I get a midnight kiss I'll be happy." He said, Hermione raised her eyebrow at him leaning over to whisper in his ear.

"I'll be sure to let Ron know!" Draco whipped his head round to her, his nose brushing hers "He's not my type, but from what I've seen he's yours!" He smiled; confused Hermione asked "What do you mean _'from what I've seen?'_ There is nothing to see; there is nothing between Ron and I." Although the conversation wasn't exactly jolly and happy it wasn't nasty, it was just a conversation, Draco sighed and Hermione felt his breath on her lips.

"I've seen into your mind remember? I saw frankly way too much of the Gryffindor than I've ever wanted to." Draco pretended to shudder. "What did you see?" Hermione asked, knowing full well what the blonde had witnessed but refused to be embarrassed by it,

"I didn't just see it, remember your lessons Hermione, when you're in someone else's mind you don't just see what they see, you feel it to. I felt that heat build inside of you as you touched him."

Hermione wanted to crash her lips on top of his, to tell him she wanted him to make her feel that way, to tell him that she _could_ not and _had_ not stopped thinking about their kiss and the way it made her feel, but at that moment Ron, Fleur and Luna came back caring drinks. Draco and Hermione pulled apart from each other.

"Did we miss something?" Ron asked looking between the two, licking her dry lips Hermione didn't reply.

"Hermione was informing me that she thinks' that you and I should have the midnight kiss!" Draco said looking up at the tall boy. When said like that and the look and Ron's face Hermione couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Hermione, I think we should go for a little dance." Ron said looking less than happy.

Ginny never got her wish. They didn't stay in the club for midnight at 11.15 they left. They didn't want to spend the whole night in V.I.P so they went downstairs to party with everybody else. Things were fine at first, Fleur had gone home to be with Bill, Luna was doing a funny dance with Ron, Ginny and Harry kept disappearing and Hermione made a point of dancing as close to Draco as possible her arms wrapped around him neck and his round her waist as she dipped her hips and slowly moved them round so that they kept touching him, she wasn't going to kiss him, although he ran the tip of his tongue along her neck line on more than one occasion.

It was going really well they were all getting more than slightly drunk but then people kept asking for photo's with them they wouldn't leave the group alone and a rather ugly guy grabbed Ginny's arse, Harry punched him and then they thought it best if they leave and just carry on their own party at Grimmauld Place.

Being one of the more sober persons in the group Hermione apparated there while the others held on to her. "Wow, Potter this is kind of dark and gloomy!" Draco said once they entered the building "Let's go upstairs and grab some drinks." Harry said cradling his bruised fist. "Its gunna be midnight soon!!" Ginny lead the way and after kicking off her shoes Hermione followed.

With a large supply of alcohol the group went into a bedroom Hermione sat on the floor next to Ron while Harry and Luna sat on the bed and Draco and Ginny sat opposite Hermione.

"Well, I never thought I'd be celebrating anything with Draco Malfoy!" Ron said with a drink in his hand "I agree." Draco said "But I'm kind of glad I am." he added looking at Hermione, she felt a jolt travel through her body "It's nearly midnight! Quick everyone have your shot glasses ready!" Ginny cried "Is it time to swap sets yet?" Luna asked looking at the couples, she then got off the bed and sat next to Ron as Ginny got up and sat next to Harry.

Hermione looked at Draco, shrugged his shoulders but tapped the carpet next to him. Hermione got up a little unsteady but made it over to him with no problems.

"What would you have done if Luna had sat next to me?" Draco asked a smirk playing at the corner of his lips, Hermione placed a hand on the top of his leg, he raised an eyebrow "You might be but Luna's not blind." Was all she said giving him a little squeeze she let go. Nobody else had noticed their exchange.

"10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... HAPPY NE-" Ginny never got to finish her sentence as Harry had not only finished his shot but had also captured her lips with his.

"Happy new year, Hermione"

"Draco."

They didn't stop to think about it which was good, they just kissed passionately both cupping each other's face, she moaned into his mouth when he dipped his tongue into her. Hermione turned her body to face him and he pulled her legs over his. She ran a hand down the front of his shirt although she'd seen it enough times it felt totally different now, she wanted to feel his skin, dear God she wanted him so much and by the bulge in his trousers he felt the same. His hands were running along her back.

"Hem Hem!" Came a noise from beside them, finally breaking apart Draco and Hermione looked up to see Ron and Harry standing up over them, they would have looked very intimidating if they both didn't have lipstick around their lips and both weren't drunk.

"What you think you doing?" Ron asked crossing his arms over his chest. "What did it look like we were doing?" Draco answered Ron's question with a question.

"It looksss like you were trying to get in Herm… Hermione'sss pant'ss" Harry slurred

"No," Hermione said looking up at the two and smiling "He wasn't trying to get in my pants; I was trying to get in his." Harry and Ron stood there both looking a little bewildered, Ginny laughed. "So he wasn't…" Ron started shaking his head "Correct. He wasn't. I was." Harry looked at Ron and Ron looked at Harry "Oh!" they said before going back to their partners for the night.

"So I'm not trying to get into your pants you are trying to get into mine?" Draco smiled at her. Hermione leant closer as if to tell him a secret "I don't know if you've noticed, but I have no pants to try and get into." She said indicating her dress and her legs. "I have noticed." He said running a hand along the soft skin up until the hem of the dress then he brought it back down as he kissed her again.

Hermione's hands copied his movement except when she came to the junction of his legs she didn't bring her hand's back down she cupped him, Draco gasped into the kiss turning Hermione on with the knowledge that she did this to him. Breaking apart from the kiss Hermione looked him in his grey lustful eyes' "Let's go somewhere more private to see what we can do about those pants shall we?"

Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling


	10. Chapter 10

Stumbling out of the room the couple found a clean empty bedroom a few doors down.

Draco pulled Hermione's dress over her head and threw it on the floor, standing before him in her underwear she felt a little apprehensive Draco tried to unclasp her bra but couldn't so Hermione had to do it herself.

Once she was naked before him she looked at him "Draco, you're wearing too many clothes." he hurriedly took off his shirt. Once again Hermione looked upon the scars that marked his chest; she didn't touch him, yet. He was a sight, tall and lean (not like when she first found him) this is what she thought Draco Malfoy's chest should look like. Her breathing increased when he took his trousers off. There he stood, his manhood stuck up for her

"Draco." she breathed, he fell on her then. Arms and legs and mouth. Everywhere. It wasn't exciting. It was painful.

The way he kept turning her breast as if they were Arial antenna's and he was trying to tune her in. "Draco what are you doing?" She asked he looked at her, his slender hands on her chest his prick brushing her stomach. "Err... What does it look like?" he asked.

"It's not what it looks like it's what it feels like. And that's painful,"

"What's painful?" He asked, hands removing themselves from her breast and resting on her waist "Yes, I have breast and they do have feelings why are you turning them like their bolts and screws?"

"I thought that's what you wanted?" he was confused taking a step away from her. She took a step towards him "Draco, I want it I want you. Just be gentle okay" He nodded.

He kissed her again, they moved over to the bed and laid down side by side Hermione ran a hand along the contours of his face, he leant over and kissed her as he pushed her back into the cool bed covers using his hands to keep his weight off her.

His knee banged her thigh Hermione winced but didn't make a sound; she ran a hand along his back feeling the taunt muscles beneath the thin layer of sweat that had covered his body. All of a sudden he changed from using his hands to using his elbows to keep him up (Unfortunately he hit Hermione's head)

"Are you okay?" he asked her. Hermione was just laying there under the man she wanted but instead of feeling turned on and aroused she felt uncomfortable "Is this right?" he asked Hermione looked deep into his eyes, "Draco." she started "Is this... I am your first?" the smile that was playing across the man's lips vanished and he rolled off of her on to his side so his back faced her

"Why do you ask that?" he questioned her. Hermione didn't actually no why she asked him, or why she even thought about it. This was Draco Malfoy she was talking about, he had a reputation as an orgasm guarantee and that was when they were in their 4th year!

But the way he was acting reminded her a little of Ron when they had first started to get intimate. "I don't know you just seem really nervous." she answered him. She was looking at the scar on his back when he started speaking.

"I'm nineteen years old." Draco started to explain "From the womb I've been educated about the Malfoy place in the wizarding world. We are the best. Everyone else is below us. My father picked my 'friends'. He even picked who I was supposed to marry. For years I was stuck with the same people. You know the saying you can choose your friends but you can't choose your family? Well I couldn't do either.

Then I went to Hogwarts and I met new people, but every time I would have this voice in the back of my head questioning about their blood their 'purity' Why do you think I went to the Yule Ball with a girl as nasty as Pansy, she's one of the only people who has the clearest blood. That's probably why my mum and dad wanted me to marry her, but they didn't see her like I did. She went off with other boys. The people we had been taught to believe here half bloods, blood traitors. She told me one night that as long as you don't have complete sex with them you're fine.

I wanted to believe her, that's when I started to explore. I never had sex with any of them but damn I made them come, using just my fingers or tongue. I thought that was okay I got to try some things and still stay clean. Then life got out of hand, Snape and I were on the run, we got caught by that... man. Snape thought me things, I don't mean magical things I mean life things he told me of his past how he fell for someone who wasn't pure, how he found out the hard way that blood doesn't matter. Blood doesn't make the person. He finally made me see and when Bella did what she did to us I knew he was right. These people who I was made to respect were scared cowards.

Then I met you. You took me in, introduced me to your family, stuck up for me against your friends and bloody hell you let me into your mind! You actually trusted me so much to allow me in. I started to feel things towards you at that time more than just a saviour and friend but I now fucked it up because I'm so nervous, I want you so much but I can't seem to get my parents rants out of my head. Now I'm so nervous I've even lost my hard on!" He confessed still with his back to her.

Hermione didn't know what to say, when he first started talking about blood she had to force herself to say into the same room as him and listen but she thought towards the end she was starting to understand him a little more, he wasn't just worried because he had never had sex before he was scared because if he had sex with her his parents would have no more hold over him he would be completely free.

So Hermione did what she seemed to do best. Help.

She leant over and kissed the base of his neck, reaching her hand around so she could touch his chest she used her tongue to trace the outline of his ear as her hand travelled down his chest to his stomach lightly following the line of hair that lead to his groin.

Draco turned around so he was laying on his back looking up at Hermione "What -?" he started to question but was cut off as Hermione placed her lips over his.

She ran a solitary finger along his length and felt it rise up into her hand. Hermione left Draco's mouth and started to make her way down his body, bringing his nipples to peaks as she circled them with her tongue, moving ever lower placing butterfly kisses everywhere she could, she kissed his belly button as she placed her body in between his legs, removing the hand that was pleasuring him she ran her nails along his stomach and scars, Draco groaned.

Smiling to herself Hermione looked at his manhood, it was standing to attention she kissed the tip of him with the same light kisses she has used on his chest. Hermione looked up at him; Draco had his eyes shut his hands gripping the bed sheet beneath him. She took him in her mouth, using the tip of her tongue to touch every ridge and crevice of him, taking him deeper as she gently sucked him Hermione placed one hand at the base of his shaft while the other squeezed his balls "Oh Gods!" Draco moaned as she started to increase her pace bring up her hand up to meet her lips "Hermione!" he shouted as Hermione moaning onto him. She knew he was near orgasm.

Removing her hands and mouth from his prick she straddled him and slid him into her, she didn't move just sat there looking down at him. Draco had his eyes open and was staring up at her "You're so beautiful." he told her as he ran his hands up her leg placing them on her hips he gently started to move her body. Hermione needed no encouragement she started slow but as she felt the heat inside her start to over flow she moved faster bring him deeper inside her, "Draco!" She moaned when he place finger on her clit flicking over it. "Draco!!" She screamed as the heat engulfed her and she came, Draco was still moving her but it wasn't long before he came inside of her.

They stayed there for a while, Hermione lying on Draco's chest as their heartbeats slowly returned to normal; Draco was running a hand through her curly hair "I think I could sleep for years now." Hermione said, Draco chuckled letting his hand travel down her naked back to her bum where he cupped her.

Hermione raised her head so she could look at him, he lent forward and kissed her slowly Hermione moved herself up his body slightly so she could kiss him without straining her neck, her hands were in his hair she twirled a strand around her finger as she let his tongue enter my mouth, what she wasn't expecting was for him to enter her using his fingers she gasped into the kiss as she felt his prick stir again she broke the kiss as his fingers slowly plunged into her again and again.

"Really? Again?" she asked looking at the smirk that was on his face "I'm spent." She confessed, but even as she said it she found her body slowly moving back to meet his strokes. "Don't worry, it's my turn to be on top." He growled removing his fingers, rolling her over so she was beneath his chest and with one strong lunge he entered her as she cried out his name.

Hermione was awoken some hours later to the sound of loud laughter, she found herself wrapped in Draco's arms with a slight headache "What's going on?" he asked sleepily. "I don't know" Hermione answered him untangling herself from his body she slipped out of bed, put on her underwear and the black shirt Draco had been wearing. "I'm going to check it out" She told him but he had rolled over and was already asleep.

She closed the door quietly behind her as she left the room she had not heard the laughter in a while so she didn't know what direction to start looking from. Thinking it might have come from the room they were all in last night she started there, it was empty, empty bottles of fire whiskey littered the floor (that explains the headache) puzzled she started to look in different rooms when she heard the laughter again not far off. "Guy's" She called when she recognised Ron's high laughter.

A door opened a few feet away and Ginny stepped out, "Finally you're up!" She said, she was still wearing the long midnight blue dress but major difference was the fact that the last time Hermione had seen Ginny she was not at least 8 months pregnant! "What the - how long have I been asleep?" she asked, Ginny rubbed a hand over her huge belly "Not that long come in." giving the bump a wide berth Hermione went into the room Ginny had just left.

The room was full of boxes and it had a musky smell to it but before she had time to question her friend she found Harry and Ron sitting in the middle of what appeared to be junk "You're awake!" Harry said with a dream like expression on his face "Hay, will someone explain about the bump." Hermione said indicating Ginny's belly, her friends started to laugh and Hermione didn't know if it was at her, but her temper started to flare up, Ron, who was normally on the receiving end of her temper saw the signs so he quickly explained

"It's not real, it's just a suit that you put on and it makes you look and feel pregnant." He said Harry nodded "Believe me! My boobs were so tender I didn't know what was going on!" he said placing a hand on his chest "Well you shouldn't try things on if you don't know what they are should you." Ginny scalded, "So it's just a body suit?" Hermione inquired

"A magical suit. Copies the same clothes you wear, gives you the same feelings from kicks to leaky boob's, normally they stay on for about half an hour but I think as this one has been up here for so long it's gone funny. Harry was stuck in his for over an hour before it fell off!" Hermione who already had a headache rubbed her forehead.

"Here you might need this." Harry said indicating a bottle that was on the floor Hermione recognized it as a hangover cure gratefully she accepted it and drank a little feeling her head clear up "Where's Luna?" she asked "Asleep" Ginny informed her

"Are you going to explain to us what you're wearing?" Ron asked, Hermione looked down at the shirt that was covering her

"No I don't think I will." She informed him, "Have you found anything else?" Hermione asked them, "Not really, just a few books some blood purity monitor and other nice friendly things." Ginny said sarcastically

"This was the best find, did you know mum has one of these" She said indicating her stomach "She made me wear it for a day when I started having my periods" The boys groaned at this information but Hermione nodded she could imaging Mrs Weasley doing it and she could also imaging Ginny's shouts and screams of dismay.

Hermione helped the group go through the boxes, they found bits of parchment, old robes, baby photos of Sirius and his brother and some bits of a broken mirror half way through them and Ginny's bump fell off.

"Thank God!" She exclaimed. Hermione reached over to it, it was not much like a rucksack really that hung around your front, "Try it on." Ron said indicating the suit Hermione shook her head "I don't think I want to even pretend to be pregnant." Harry looked up at her "Go on, the worst that could happen is it stays on longer."

"Fine, I suppose your right." She said slipping her arms thought the gaps while Ginny tied it at the back when it was securely fastened it transformed into what she was wearing, Hermione felt a weight pulling her forward and the only way she could keep balance was to place her hands on her back. Ron started laughing at her "Shut it." Hermione snapped, Ginny came over to her

"Are your boobs bigger?" she asked quietly "What!" Hermione asked shocked at the question "When I wore the suit my boob got bigger and so tender." Hermione put a hand under her right breast, they felt heavier, and then running the hand around her she found that they were bigger

"What are you doing?" Harry asked in a slightly high pitched voice "Nothing." She replied as the door to the room was opened and in walked Draco minus a shirt. He saw Hermione one hand on her back the other on her chest heavily pregnant and he did what most men would do.

He fainted.

"Draco!" Hermione wobbled over to him but Harry and Ron got there first. "He's okay." Ron told her.

"Wow what happened to his chest?" Ginny asked,

"That's what that muggle did to him" Hermione explained to her friend. She forgot that none of them had seen Draco's chest or even the friction scar on his wrist where the Dark Mark used to be "It's a lot better now most of the cuts are gone." She ran a hand through his hair "When you said how bad he was hurt I never really knew." Harry said looking down at the fallen man. Draco groaned and opened his eyes "What the fuck just happened?" he asked looking up at them all.

"You fainted you big pansy." Ron laughed at him while Harry helped him up, Draco looked at Hermione who also needed help getting up he reached out a hand to touch her fake belly, Hermione actually felt the touch "It's fake." Hermione said, Draco nodded "I know, it just threw me." Ginny looked over the two of them "I don't know about you lot but I need breakfast, Ron you go wake Luna, she can't sleep all day."

Once the group were all together they started to make their way downstairs Hermione and Draco in front "You no it's good on you." Draco started, Hermione raised an eyebrow "What looking like a beached whale or wearing your shirt." She smirked at him Draco actually laughed "I was talking about the shirt, but if I'm honest I think you'd look better without it on." Hermione blushed

What happened next happened so fast that Hermione didn't know if it was real.

She laughed at Draco,

Slipped on a step,

He caught her.

The front door bursts open.

Everyone on the stairs froze, Draco with his hand on Hermione's 'baby bump', Luna on the same step as Harry while Ginny stood behind them and Ron bringing up the rear.

Moody and Lupin stumbled in carrying a body between them.

Hermione didn't know who it was.

Until they tilted their head back.

Until the blonde hair fell out of their eye's.

Until their gray eyes locked on her.

Draco's eyes.

It was Narcissa Malfoy.

Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione placed her hand over Draco's when she felt him squeeze the 'baby bump' she didn't look at him, her eyes stayed on the blonde women's, who didn't make a sound when Lupin and Moody dragged her into the house, if either of the two men were shocked at them being there they did not show it. Hermione couldn't take her eyes off the women just as Narcissa didn't take her eyes off Draco's hand on her inflated stomach. The three of them disappeared through a door near the stairs, that now Hermione thought about it she couldn't remember ever seeing before.

"That was your mother." Luna stated as if anyone couldn't recognise the captive

"Let's go wait in the kitchen, shall we." Harry said behind her. Hermione found herself walking but still holding Draco's hand in place. He hadn't said a word. Once they were in the kitchen Luna and Ron went about cooking something to eat while Draco, Hermione Harry and Ginny sat around the table.

"Arr... I wish this thing would come off already!" Hermione moaned poking her stomach. She felt useless when she was carrying around all this fake weight, "I don't mean to be funny but what the Hell are they doing bring anyone back here. Let alone your mother!" Harry fumed "This is not the Orders Head office any more this is my house!" Harry it seemed could no longer sit still he got up and started to pace the floor. "Err... Harry let's go and check on Ron and see if he's managed to make anything edible." Ginny said after Hermione gave her a look.

Once they were alone Hermione let go of Draco's hand and faced him "Are you okay?" She asked, he was rubbing were the Dark Mark once used to ink his skin but now were stood the scar from his months of pain. Hermione placed one hand at the side of his face and the other one over his scar; he looked up at then his blue grey eyes not really seeing her

"Draco." She said gently

"What is she doing here? How did she find me? That man is going to find me!" He finally spoke but was getting more and more worked up "Draco!" Hermione shouted over his rant, he stopped talking but his eyes were jumping around the room. As if expecting the man with the cane to suddenly jump out from behind a door.

"I promised you a long time ago that I would keep you safe didn't I, and that's what I'm going to do. We have to hear what Lupin say's before we jump to any conclusions." Draco nodded his head and looked at her properly for the first time "I'm sorry." He said leaning into her hand "Don't you ever feel sorry." She scolded the man,

"I don't want to deal with this, cant we just have a time turner and go back to a few hours ago when we were together and you were calling my name" Draco said making Hermione smile and blush at the same time. "Draco!" she tried to scold him but couldn't fight the urge so she kissed him, pulling away from him slightly she said "We'll have plenty of nights and Hell we'll even have some days as well but we. No. You need to confront this, no one should have this hold over you, you are your own person." then she kissed him again as if to show him that she would be there. "Who wants eggs?" Ron asked coming into the room, the couple parted.

Breakfast was finished before Lupin came out if the room. He walked into the kitchen looked confused at Hermione stomach but didn't ask any questions on it he just asked for them to sit by the table as he would explain a few things.

"She's here for Draco." He began but Ron cut him off

"What do you mean she's here for Draco? She can't have him!" he exploded catching everyone off guard at this sudden show of solidarity, Ron looked around "Come on guys, look at his chest if a person can knowingly let that happen to someone they have no right to ask for anything or make demands. I don't care if she helped Draco and Snape escape the women should go to Azkaban!" there was a few minutes of silence as everyone absorbed what he said and Lupin looked at Draco's chest for the first time.

"You never let me finish Ron. She said she is here for Draco, she is willing to give up Bellatrix if Draco is willing to give her another chance."

"Why is she asking to see him now? - "

"Why don't you just use truth serum on her? - "

"Why don't you read her mind to see if she is telling the truth? - "

"How did she find me?"

Everyone bombarded Lupin with questions, the werewolf held up his hands to stop the flow. "She found you you stupid boy because she saw your photo in the paper at Christmas!" growled Moody as he limped into the room "I told you to keep a low profile but no you won't listen to a man with more years experience than you have hair on your head!" He scowled at Draco

"That wasn't his fault!" Hermione piped up, Moody looked at her and sneered

"Listen here..." he started but Lupin cut across him

"Stop it. Look, what we know is this. Narcissa came to one of our agents, she told us she wants' to help the Order." Everyone made as if to interrupt but he held up his hands once again. "She wants to do it for Draco, now from what I understand Narcissa has left the Death Eaters, she has had no contact with them since after Christmas, when she saw the picture in the newspaper and realised that her son was alive and not dead as she thought. She told is willing to give up Bellatrix's whereabouts to us. Moody and I have both used legilimency on her and she is telling the truth, but she wants to talk to Draco before she gives us anything. We don't want to rush you into any decision Draco but I can't stress how useful this information will be." with that he finished, Moody had stomped back down the stairs.

Nobody was willing to break the silence that followed, Harry and Ginny went to wash up, Ron took Luna home and was ordered to bring some clothes back for the rest of them, Lupin was sitting with Hermione and Draco eating some food when Hermione's bump finally fell off "Thank fuck!" She cursed running her hand over her flat stomach "I haven't seen one of these in years." Lupin laughed picking up the suit "I knew you weren't pregnant I just thought you'd eaten one of the Fred and George's new sweets."

When Ron arrived back carrying clothes Hermione and Draco went up to the room they spent the night in to get changed. "I think I'm going to see her." Draco said making Hermione pause while slipping on her jeans "Do you think that's a wise idea?" She asked him,

"She's my mother Hermione, she deserves a chance right? What if she is really sorry for what she did? What if she just wants another chance? What if she does give up Bella, do you think it's possible?" He asked looking at Hermione

"Draco there seemed to be a lot of what ifs. How about; what if she is lying to us? What if she just wants to kill you? What if she wants to get information about the Order?" Draco looked hurt "I hope she's not Draco, for your sake I hope she is here to make things better. Just try to keep an open mind, please." Hermione begged. Draco didn't reply just put tied his trainer's and left the room leaving Hermione looking at empty space.

"Why did you bring her here, Lupin?" Hermione asked later that evening, Draco still hadn't spoken to her he seemed to spend more time with Harry and Ron.

"She took us by surprise really," The greying man said "We haven't had a prisoner in a while, but this is where we normally take them. Down stairs there's a room where you can't leave by magic. Dumbledore designed it." Hermione nodded

"How did she take you by surprise?" she wanted to know.

"She came up to Moody at the Ministry, bold as brass she walked up to him said she knows we have Draco, take her to him and she'll give us Bella. Just like that, first thing in the morning I don't even think Moody had sat at his desk yet!" He said shaking his head

"What are you going to do with her now?"

"We leave her down there for a day or two see if she changes her story, then if Draco is willing we'll bring her out and see what she has to say."

"Do you think she is telling the truth?"

"Yes, we saw her mind. She was really anxious to know where Draco was. That was the main thing on her mind."

Hermione thought this would reassure her. It did very little.

Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling


	12. Chapter 12

In the weeks that followed Ginny had gone back to school, Draco had spoken to his mother with everyone there expect Hermione. Hermione was glad she didn't have to see the women; just thinking about her gave Hermione a headache. Her relationship with Draco had gone down the pan they hardly spoke anymore, he seemed to always be with his mother. Hermione was feeling so depressed she was thinking of going home to her parents for a while, just so she could rest and not deal with all this pressure.

Hermione was in the kitchen of Grimmuald Place making herself a cup of tea when Draco walked in with his mother and Harry "Hay Hermione." Harry said, "Hay." Hermione replied wishing the water would hurry up and boil. Moody told them not to use their wands around Narcissa. Hermione was sure Moody didn't trust the blonde women as well but Hell would freeze over before she spoke her fears to him.

"You wouldn't make me a coffee would you?" came the low voice of Narcissa Malfoy, Hermione wanted to turn around and tell her to fuck off she wasn't doing anything for the bitch, but she never, she just took out another mug. "How do you like it?" Hermione asked keeping her back to the women "Strong and _pure_ black." Hermione paused while spooning in the coffee bean. PURE! That couldn't have been just her ears picking up on the way the elder women said the word, but when she turned around Narcissa was smiling at Harry and Draco as if nothing had happened. Hermione closed her eyes and counted to ten before she poured the boiling water into the mug and put Narcissa's on the table hers forgotten.

Hermione left the room as quickly as she could without it looking as if she was scared of the elder women, finding sanctuary in one of the bedrooms she sat in a corner and started thinking.

If Narcissa really did give herself up to see her son shouldn't she, Hermione, give the women a brake. NO! Her mind screamed, Narcissa wasn't there to help Draco. Snape died in front of Hermione and there was nothing she could do to stop it, she'd be damned if she was going to let some stupid blonde cow come between her and the rest of her friends and make her question her instincts.

Hermione would just have to grin and bear it until she had solid proof that the woman was up to something.

Hermione went back into the kitchen and found that Narcissa wasn't there. "Mums, gone to tell the Order where Bella is." Draco answered her unspoken question. Feeling a little silly Hermione sat down next to Harry opposite Draco "Where do you think they are?" Harry asked, getting more excited the nearer the time came to finally catching Bellatrix "I thought maybe the Manor at first, but now I'm thinking somewhere out of the way but near wizards, maybe abroad." Draco said playing with his food not really eating it, the kitchen door opened and in walked Ron, he smiled at her.

Even though she felt that Harry and Draco were pulling away from her Ron always spoke to her (when he wasn't busy at the twins shop.) She felt pure affection for the tall red head that she got out of her seat and hugged him, squeezing him tight.

"Are you alright?" He asked her quietly Hermione nodded "Just miss having you round all the time." she told him honestly Ron pulled back so he could look at her "When I'm around you'd only be sick of me" he smiled Hermione laughed releasing him from her grip "Your probably right."

"Alright lads," Ron addressed the two men in the room as he sat in Hermione's recently empty seat and Hermione stood next to Draco "Fred and George got called here, we closed the shop early. What's going on?" He asked them Draco who seemed to be scowling at the red head "My mother is keeping her side of the bargain, why are you here none of us can go with the Order." He snapped crossing his arms over his chest and sticking his nose in the air.

The group took one look at him, then each other and burst out laughing. Draco seemed to realise he was acting like a child for he pouted and said "It's not funny!" which only made the others laugh harder. Hermione held a hand to her side, nearly bent double from laughing, not that Draco was that funny but just because it felt so go to laugh with these three men.

Draco grabbed Hermione around the waist and pulled her into his body "Stop laughing at me." he said "You looked like such a spoilt little child." Harry laughed removing his glasses so he could wipe his eyes Ron nodded his agreement "Like a golden Percy."

Draco placed his chin on Hermione's shoulder and wrapped her in his arms, letting a hand rub against her stomach; it felt so good to be in his arms again that Hermione found herself leaning back into his body.

When they finally controlled themselves Ron said "So, looks like they're all going on a mission and we have to stay behind and baby-sit your mother. No offence." he said to Draco, "At least they'll have the element of surprise it always helped us." Harry added Hermione looked between them. She could read them like a book, a very predictable book. "You two are upset because you cannot go with them aren't you!" She accused, Ron and Harry looked guilty "Don't you think we've all had enough trouble and fighting to last several life times. I'm including you as well Draco" she scolded resting her hand above Draco's "I agree with you Hermione, but that doesn't stop me wanting to find her and get revenge for Snape." Draco confessed leaving the group in a sombre mood.

"Happy thoughts people. In a day or two it will be over, Draco will be able to walk outside and not worry about his picture being taken, Mrs Malfoy will be able to leave this house, think positive." Ron said making them smile.

"So tell us what new sweets have the twins come up with?" Harry asked a few minutes later Ron actually showed all his teeth as he smiled, "Well, I told them about the pregnancy suit we found and they've made this sweet that makes you look and feel pregnant for 30 minutes! I get a cut of every one we sell as I came up with the idea. You should see all the mothers buying them for their daughter just to put them off having kids young! They're also working on a toffee that makes speak fluently in another language but they aren't quite finished yet."

Hermione smiled, Ron really enjoyed helping out the family business, as he was talking Draco had started to kiss Hermione's shoulder soon Harry and Ron were talking about new jokes and inventions between them. Draco kept stroking her stomach whilst he now kissed her neck "What are you doing?" Hermione asked quietly "I've missed you." was all he said Hermione turned her head to look back at him and he captured her lips in a kiss. Hermione found it hard not to moan into the kiss, it had been so long since he had touched her, and pulling back she smiled at him "I've missed you too." Draco smiled then.

None of them noticed the people walking into the room, the meeting had finished and Bill, Narcissa and Lupin stood by the doorway "Meetings finished." Bill said loudly making the four teenagers look their way. Spotting Narcissa's white taunt face, Hermione made to move out of Draco's embrace but he held her tight against his body. "We're leaving tomorrow. Just thought I'd come and say bye." Lupin said Harry knocked his chair back as he stood up so fast "What do you mean bye! You're not going to die we'll see you again." Lupin smiled at his friends son "I meant bye as in I'm leave this house now bye, not bye I'm dying and you'll never see me again bye."

"Oh." Harry said, going slightly pink. Bill and Lupin left the room as Narcissa stepped into it looking at Hermione and Draco "You've made up I see. I don't know why you wear that concealment charm around me girl; it's not as if I haven't seen it." Narcissa snapped at the confused girl. "Haven't seen what?" Hermione asked trying to understand. "Your pregnancy bump. I already know your pregnant with my son's child there is no reason to hide it from me any longer!" Hermione didn't know what to say to the women once again she tried to step out of Draco's embrace but he held her tightly.

"I'm sorry mother." Draco started, Hermione was glad she didn't have to explain that the women was wrong "We've just been so used to hiding it." Hermione stiffened _What. The. Fuck?_ "I know you're really happy for us, we just wanted to deal with it ourselves." He finished "Hermione didn't want everyone to know about it." Harry said, Hermione snapped her head round to him so fast she heard her neck click, but still she said nothing. Harry wasn't looking at her he was staring intently at Draco's mother.

"Well, excuse me there is something I have to do." Narcissa said as she turned her back on the group and went back out the door.

Hermione waited a few minutes before she pushed herself out of Draco's arms and hissed "What the fuck was that about?" Ron looked as shocked as she was "Your pregnant?" He asked her "No, I'm not bloody pregnant! If you two don't explain to me right now why you lied I swear to God I'm going to make you believe your 6 year old girls." she promised, reaching in her pocket for her wand, the boys looked a little taken aback but she didn't care, she was fuming.

"Sorry, Hermione. We just wanted to check her reaction. You know, see if she really has changed or if it's all a front, but she seemed fine with the thought of having a grandchild by you." Harry said, this did little to calm Hermione down "So you don't believe Narcissa is here just for Draco?" she asked, Draco shook his head "I want to believe her. I really do but I don't know. There is a part of me that wants to shock her enough to get her to reveal her true side." Hermione looked at them. They didn't tell her about this little plan of theirs they just put up a wall around them leaving her out. It hurt.

Hermione cast a look around them, shook her head and left them. "Hermione!" Harry called after her "Leave me alone." she shouted back. On her way back to her room she bumped into Tonks. "Hey you." Tonks smiled hugging her friend "How have you been?" She asked Hermione shook her head "To be honest I'm not even sure. There have been far too many shocks; I think I've aged a few years."

The other women laughed with her. "What's that?" Hermione asked indicating a piece of paper Tonks held in her hands. "It's Narcissa's letters. It's only a copy" she was informed, frowning she said "What, you mean your letting her write to people?" Surely they were not that stupid that they would let the prisoner have contact with the outside world "Don't worry Hermione; it's a letter to her husband."

"But he's dead!"

"We know he's dead but believe it or not she really loved him. She writes him letters twice a week and puts them on his grave. It's sweet really. You can read it if you don't believe me." The purple haired women held the crisp white paper out to her and Hermione took it feeling a little guilty about not trusting the women in front of her.

"Do you mind if I look over them upstairs I don't want to be caught snooping?" Hermione asked, Tonks seemed to think about it then nodded her head.

"Don't worry too much about it, we tested the paper and writing before we took them to the grave there is no plan in them. Just really bad writing." Tonks told her Hermione nodded, "Thanks for this Tonks, I'll give them back in a little while." Hermione went back upstairs, she was still upset by Harry and Draco but she put that aside for now, she wanted to look over these notes

Once in the room Hermione quickly scanned through them both, nothing jumped out at her. The first one read:

_to my DARLin husbANd, i wish you COuld be ARound now LOve to see the changes IN the world we liVE in. i gave myself oVEr to the light. don't BE mad it was the right thing to do. love _

And the second which was written recently as the ink was still wet read:

_TO my daRLin husbANd, how i've missed you my PRecioUS love i count the sEConds THat you're gone from my SIde, i might see yOU soON UNlike our PRecious draco who has forgiven my sins aboUT puRE blood, it Kills me inside to know I infLIcted pain on my only chiLD, he had found a girl now, HERMIONE GRANGER, i dont know if he thinKS of her as a PArent or a paRTner EVeN THough she is pregnant with his child. SWeet dreams my lOVe and remember i'll see yOU soON. love _

Hermione was about to study them in detail but she was stopped by a knock at the door.

Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling


	13. Chapter 13

The knock on the door startled Hermione, she guiltily stashed the letter copies under her pillow and hurried to lay down on the bed, "Hermione." came Harry's voice through the wooden door. Hermione said nothing "Are you going to open up?" Draco's voice asked. Hermione looked out the window to the evening sky.

The bedroom door opened but Hermione didn't turn around to see who is was, she already knew. They made no sound as they entered her sleeping quarters, the bed dipped from where a body had sat on it.

"Please don't be mad Hermione." said Harry from the foot of the bed.

"We're sorry we didn't tell you why we were being distant." Draco said near her head "You know us too well that we just couldn't be fake around you." he concluded.

"Well, _I_ never knew what they were up to" Ron said Hermione turned around to see the lanky red head leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest and frowning at the two guys Hermione smiled at him.

"That's probably because you can't lie to me." Hermione informed him. Ron placed his hands on his hips and scowled at her. "I can!" he snapped, Harry looked at his best friend "You do know if you put on a dress right now you'd look exactly like your mother!" said Harry, Ron opened his mouth in indignation "You bastard!" he shouted leaving them in a huff.

Hermione grinned at the retreating figure, "Are we forgiven yet?" Draco asked bring her attention back to the two boys and how they had kept her out of the loop. "The main thing that annoys me is the fact: you all know I'm the brains, I mean I was the one who got Umbridge to go into the forest that night and made enough noise so she would be caught, if you had just told me what you were thinking I would have been able to give you ideas." She informed them, turning to Draco she poked him in the ribs "You! Mister! Have a lot of making up to do to get back in my good books." scolded Hermione then turning to Harry she repeated the message.

They talked for hours (Ron did not return) and cleared the air finally Harry got up to leave but Hermione stopped him at the door, "So do we trust her?" She asked aware of the letters under her pillow. "Or will I have to wear that stupid pregnancy thing again?" Harry shrugged "I guess. We have no reason to doubt her just yet. We'll tell her tomorrow you're not pregnant" were his parting words. "That will be fun." muttered Draco sarcastically.

Finally alone with Draco after days of tension Hermione felt worn out. Laying back on the pillow she looked up at the man "Are you happy now?" she asked him. Draco looked down at her then moved his body so he was on his side facing her. "I'll answer that question tomorrow, when everyone comes back telling us that Bella is either dead or captured. I'm not fussed which." Hermione thought about his answer "I missed you." Draco informed her, "Even though we were in the same house it just felt so different with my mum here." leaning in closer he whispered to her "I think your parents are saner than mine. But I don't think they should meet my mum any time soon. Do you?" Hermione laughed at the thought.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Hermione asked thinking of Harry and Ron downstairs, "Right now I want to see if you are how I remember you." Hermione only had enough time to frown before Draco rolled on top of her and captured her lips. He pulled back slightly to allow Hermione some much needed oxygen. "I think it's time I taught you something." Draco started to say, Hermione who was enjoying the feeling of being underneath him replied "Teach me what?" Hermione felt butterflies in her stomach at the grin that he was wearing, "Teach you how those rumours of me got started!"

Hermione woke up the next morning completely refreshed although Draco had only given her a few hours sleep. Turning over she looked at the sleeping form of Draco Malfoy and smiled to herself. It had been the right thing to do, that day many months ago to bring Draco back home with her and not just because of the way he now made her feel but for the Order as well. Today, this morning in fact the Order was on their way to Bellatrix's hideout. In a few short hours hopefully everyone would come back and the wizarding world would once again be a safe place.

Hermione leant forward and placed a soft kiss on Draco's lips, his breathing never altered. Leaving him in the warm bed she got up and had a long soak in the bath to try and pass the time. By the time Hermione got back in the room to get dressed Draco was still asleep, trying to keep as quite as possible she got dressed and made her way to the kitchen downstairs' to have her morning cup of tea.

As she poured the boiling water into a mug Hermione couldn't keep the smile off her face as she replayed in her mind the things that Draco did to her last night and early this morning. No wonder he had a reputation at school the guy was a genius with his hands and mouth, Hermione turned and found Narcissa Malfoy sitting at the dining table dressed in her normal black attire. Hermione felt her cheeks flame, it's not like she can read my thoughts Hermione tried to console her "Are you alright you seem rather flush?" The elder women asked which only made Hermione blush harder "I'm fine. How long have you been up?" she asked trying to get the conversation away from herself

"A while. I didn't get much sleep last night." said Narcissa

"Because of the Order going to get Bellatrix today." Hermione reasoned but Narcissa shook her head. "No, because some people forgot to use a silencing charm." Hermione nearly died, she chocked on her tea and spilled half the hot liquid down her top "Err.. I better change my top." Hermione said weakly practically sprinting upstairs to the room.

She tore her top off and threw it a Draco's head "Hr.." he groaned reaching a hand out of the covers to remove the offending item "You want me again? Just give me a minute" he said groggily looking up at her, Hermione placed her hands on her naked waist "I don't want you! You never put a silencing charm on the room before you attack me last night." she scolded.

Draco rubbed the sleep from his eyes sat up and looked at her "I never attacked you. You were more than willing if I remember correctly and you were very vocal. So what if it gave Harry and Ron wet dreams they better get used to it!" he said smugly Hermione crossed her arms under her breasts "Harry and Ron never heard us. Your mother did!" she informed him, Draco had the decency to blush slightly then. "Ah."

"That's all you have to say, 'Ah' how I'm I ever going to look her in the face! She knows what we did!" Draco rolled his eyes. He got out of bed and stepped in front of her, Hermione tried not to look at his naked body "Hermione, my mother already thinks you are pregnant. She already knows what we do together." he said placing his strong hands on her shoulder "That's really not the point." stated Hermione reminding herself to look him in the eye

"I doesn't matter what she thinks Hermione. You told me that. We are both responsible people and it's our relationship no one else should matter." he lent down and kissed the side of her mouth letting his hand run down her side stopping so he could rub the underside of her breast "Is it every time we have an argument or disagreement you're going to try and have sex with me afterwards?" asked Hermione as she felt his body against her "I think so. Now, let's see if I remember how to do that silencing charm!" he said with a smile.

By the time Hermione left the room again it was near 1pm, she knocked on the boy's door "Come in!" called Ron. Hermione pushed the door open to find the Harry and Ron playing chess "Hay Hermione." said Harry looking up from the board game "How are you?" she asked sitting herself by Ron "I just want them to be back already! I sure we didn't take this long when we did our missions." Ron snapped from being nervous, "I think time just seems to go slower when you have to wait." Harry tried to reason with his friend he got a grunt in reply.

"I can't even be bothered to win this game! Let just go down stairs. I'll cook or something" sighed Ron standing up both Harry and Hermione stood with him "Where is Draco?" asked Harry as they made their way downstairs "Getting dressed." she informed him Harry raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing. Narcissa was still in the kitchen standing up reading the Daily Prophet "Hi Mrs Malfoy." Harry said as he entered Narcissa nodded a greeting. "What are you guy's going to make?" Hermione asked as Ron when to the fridge "Pancakes I think"

"Do you want any help?" She asked, both men vigorously shook their heads "No offence Hermione but I tasted your cooking. Genius you may be but chef you most certainly are not!" Ron joked, Hermione sent his death stares. "Cheeky bugger"

"So, are you aloud to tell us now where Bellatrix is?" Hermione asked the blonde woman, she quickly looked up from her newspaper and stared Hermione straight in the eye.

_A large white manor, with green grass surrounding it on all sides_

Hermione shook her head as the image flashed briefly before her eyes. What it the world did that mean? Narcissa made as if to reply but at that moment Draco came bursting into the room with his wand trained on his mother, without saying a word rope cord sprang from the tip of his wand and wrapped his mother up around the legs, waist and arms. "DRACO!" Hermione shouted clutching a hand to her chest in fright, the newspaper Narcissa was reading fell to the floor. Ron and Harry had turned around from the stove to see the wild looking Draco and a tightly wrapped Narcissa. "What the fuck!" exclaimed Ron, quickly turning off the stove flame.

Draco was breathing heavily and Hermione notice it the other hand he held two pieces of paper, his mothers letters. "Draco?" Harry question slowly stepping forward, Hermione found herself taking a step near Mrs Malfoy "Where did you get these!" Draco shouted at Hermione waving the parchment around "I... I got them from Tonks yesterday. Sorry I didn't mean to upset you!" Hermione said in a rush not sure how she caused the man distress or why he attacked his wand less mother. "Do you know what this is?" Draco asked the room not taking his eye from his mother who still hadn't said anything; maybe Draco had put another curse on her?

"A letter for your father's grave?" Hermione answered confused. Draco growled "HA! Read them!" he held the parchment out to Hermione who walked up to him removed them from his grasp and went back near Narcissa, Harry made his way over to her. Hermione looked at the writing again

_to my DARLin husbANd, i wish you COuld be ARound now LOve to see the changes IN the world we liVE in. i gave myself oVEr to the light. don't BE mad it was the right thing to do. love _

"Turn it over." Draco instructed. Doing as she was told Hermione looked at the back of this letter were she found Draco's hurried script, a row of letter that meant nothing to Hermione, then she realised they were all the capital letters from Narcissa's letter.

_D A R L A N C O A R L O I N V E V E B E N B L A C K _

Underneath that Draco had worked out what it meant.

_DRACO ALIVE – _

Hermione looked at it, then at Narcissa who was staring at the wand pointed at her. Draco looked apprehensive before he nodded for Hermione to read the next letter and that set her on edge, Hermione didn't bother to read the letter again she turned the piece of paper over to find Draco's list of capital letters:

_T O R L A N P R U S E C T H S I O U O N U N P R U T R E K I L I L D H E R M I O N E G R A N G E R K S P A R T E V N T H S W O V O U O N _

When Hermione read Draco's decoded message her blood stopped pumping, her lung's didn't seem to get any oxygen she saw the piece of paper fall from her limp hands and float to the stone floor. Harry grabbed her shoulders while Draco kept his wand locked on his mother:

_TRAP SET SON UNPURE KILL HERMIONE GANGERS PARENT SOON – _

Narcissa Malfoy was actually smirking at Hermione. Hermione saw Draco about to curse his mother "Don't!" Hermione shouted to stop him. Draco turned to her "Hermione. This bitc-" he started but was cut off when Narcissa screamed "Don't talk about me that way you little bastard. After everything your father and I did for you, what do you do to repay us? You fuck a mudblood and get the bitch pregnant! You're too late; by now all your Order will be dead" Ron let out a strangled cry " I can only hope her parents follow soon."

WHAM!

Hermione didn't even bother to correct Narcissa about her pregnancy. Hermione's closed fist made contact with the blonde woman's nose. It wasn't a swing punch either it was straight from the shoulder with as much weight behind it as she could manage. Narcissa fell still wrapped in rope her broken nose bleeding, looking up at Hermione in disbelief "That's the muggle way, bitch!" spat Hermione at the women turning to the others, she suddenly knew what the image Narcissa had accidentally sent her meant she said "Bellatrix is at the Malfoy Manor I think that's where my parents are. Draco you have to show me where it is. Someone needs to stay with that thing -"

"I like your plan Hermione." Came a gruff voice from the doorway, they all turned except for Draco who still had his wand on his now bleeding mother. Moody stood at the doorway and behind him stood the rest of the Order "But... But." spluttered Narcissa from the floor.

"That was a little bit clever putting your code in a muggle way Narcissa, when you knew that we'd only check for magic" Lupin said "You just forgot we had a muggle fanatic with us." He said indicating Mr Weasley. Ron smiled at his dad "Nice one!"

"I don't mean to break up the reunion but Bellatrix has my parent's and I'm not going to stand around here. Draco are you ready to go?" Hermione asked. Draco lowered his wand and looked at Hermione "Yes."

Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling


	14. Chapter 14

After six minutes of mayhem where everyone said that they were also coming along the group set off from 12, Grimmauld Place headed for the Malfoy Manor. The first group consisted of Hermione, Draco, Harry and Ron they were going to get Hermione's parents whilst the other group of Lupin, Moody, Tonks and Shacklebolt were going for Bellatrix Lestrange the final group would round up all the other Death Eaters, Minerva McGonagall and Arthur Weasley were in charge of this group as Arthur had been involved on a few raids of the Manor previously. The only ones staying behind were Molly, Fred and George the twins were called to baby sit Mrs Malfoy and to try any new tricks on her (much to Ron's pleasure)

Draco took his group to Wiltshire where his former home was located the troop of teenagers' stood in front of the wrought-iron gates under Harrys invisibility cloak, taking a deep breath they pushed the gates open and made their way through the elaborate gardens past the fountain and round the back of the manor as they walked Hermione could hear Draco getting rid of the Anti-Apparition spell so the other members of the Order could apparate into the grounds where they located the servant kitchen door.

"No one ever comes down this part of the house it is beneath them so we're safe for the moment." Draco informed them. Ron was looking around the kitchen "Where are the house elves?" he asked the blonde, Draco shrugged "Possibly cleaning the bedrooms, Bella was never one for looking after anything."

"Where would they keep any prisoners?" Hermione asked not wanting to stop until she had found her parents and made sure that they were alright.

"Prisoners are held in a secret room below the drawing room, but that is also where any of the Death Eaters who didn't go to set the trap will be."

"We'll have to make a diversion." Harry reasoned looking around as if an idea would pop out to him. "If you called a house elf would it follow any instructions you gave it or would they be loyal to Bellatrix?" Harry asked Draco. Draco shrugged again "Tell me your plan." He demanded

"We get any house elf to do something, I don't know make them drop some chandeliers or start a fire at the other end of the manor."

Draco started nodding "Not bad, right, guess it's time to find out. Luca." There was a few moments when nothing happened and Hermione started to get extremely impatient then there was a soft 'pop' and in front of them stood a slightly bewildered house elf.

"Master Draco?" the creature asked looking up at the man before him.

"Luca I haven't got a lot of time, will do you as I say, ask no questions and mention it to no one, not even on pain of death?" he asked hurriedly. The house elf nodded his head "I live to serve you Master Malfoy." He bowed so low that his nose touched the floor.

"Is Bella here?"

"No master she left this morning with some friends"

"How many of her friends are still here?"

"Three are in the drawing room and two are in the special room that house elf's are not allowed to enter."

"Okay Luca this is what I want you to do..."

Eight minutes were wasted explaining the plan to the individual before he left the room with another small pop. "Right everyone get ready." Draco commanded he stood beside the doors that lead into the house and the others fell in line beside him. His fingers brushed Hermione's hand that wasn't holding her wand and she came give him a squeeze trying to keep her breathing steady.

An almighty crash made them jump even though they were looking out for the sound. A few seconds later they could hear voices swearing calling through the manor trying to find the cause of the disturbance. At this Draco lead them out of the kitchen and through the halls leading to the drawing room, Hermione didn't even spare a glance at the ornate furniture or the gilt mirrors that lined the halls.

Harry and Ron were stunning all the portraits that lined the walls so that they wouldn't raise the alarm, Draco stopped outside two huge wooden doors taking a deep breath he charged in and stunned the Death Eater that was sitting having his lunch on sofa next to an open fire. The fallen man slumped to the floor and Ron being the last one in used his wand to shut the door behind them and then lock it.

"Where to now?" Harry asked looking around the mammoth room, Draco pointed in the direction of a heavy set of curtains "We need to hurry we don't have a lot of time before the others attack this place." Hermione warned as she followed Draco to the other door. "Remember that there are still two wizards down here so let's try and keep the surprise on our side!" Harry advised them. Wands at the ready the four opened the door and went down a long flight of stairs to a damp dark chamber.

Hermione spotted her mother first, wearing her work uniform which was once pristine white was now ripped and dirty. The small woman was chained to the wall with her arms stretched above her head looking at a cloaked figure in front of her "Not saying much now are you!" a voice hissed, Hermione quickly pulled Draco back onto the last step so they couldn't be seen.

"Why would I want to waste my breath on vermin like you?" the woman asked, there was the sound of skin hitting skin followed by a small cry of pain. Hermione was now struggling to get around Draco to save her mum but he, Harry and Ron held her back "Wait for the other one!" Ron hissed at her.

"You're not meant to touch her. That's my job." A voice whispered, Hermione and Draco turned to look at each other and froze. Hermione was being transported back to a few months ago when she went to her father's function and was in the bathroom with a frightened Draco, the same voice started singing to Hermione. One of the men that were now in the same room as her mother was the same person who had tortured Draco this man also shot and killed Snape!

"He might have a gun." Hermione whispered to Draco. "What!" Harry muttered to them, Draco was looking at Hermione "I will not let him do to your mum what he did to Snape." The blonde promised Hermione felt her body go cold at the thought. "On three then." Ron whispered "one, two ..."

Hermione and Harry stunned and disarmed that man that was standing in front of her mother she could hear the commotion behind from Draco and Ron "Hermione!" her mother screamed "Draco!" she screamed again when she noticed him. Hermione quickly released her mum from the chains and then crushed her in a hug "Oh my lord!" the woman muttered into the hug when they broke apart Hermione turned to look around the room "Where's dad?" she asked "David!" Mrs Granger called looking dishevelled.

"Hermione!" Ron called; Hermione turned around, Ron had walked through a door she only just noticed. She followed him into the room closely followed by her mother and found her father laying face down on a table him shirt had been removed and he had a long burn mark down his back. "Oh my, David!" his wife gasped in shock "He's still breathing! We need to get him back to my mum she is the best healer I know." Ron advised and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Right mum, we need to get out of this building so we can apperate to Harrys" Hermione let out in a rush but her mother didn't seem to hear her she was still looking down at her husband. "Dr Granger." Came a voice from the door, mother and daughter turn to look at Draco "Dr Granger, as soon as we get out of here we can help your husband now I will be carrying him so I can't look after Hermione I need you to look after her for me," Mrs Granger looked at her daughter "Can you do this for me? Can you watch her?" he asked the woman straightened her shoulders "Of course I can." She said firmly.

"Ron, you take the prisoners' I'll carry David. Harry and Hermione will be our guard. Let's move!"

With her mum holding one hand and her wand in the other Hermione followed Harry up the stairs and back into the drawing room the Death Eater from before was where they had left him, face down by the fire Ron immobilized him and tied him up so he could join the two other men following behind the group.

As they neared the kitchen they heard the voices of people arriving at the door and the unmistakeable voice of Bellatrix Lestrange, "Hurry!" Hissed Ron as Harry faltered "But..." the dark haired man started "No buts Potter I need to get my parents to safety." Harry sighed but hurried along through the kitchen door then out to the garden.

They couldn't leave through the front gates as Death Eaters were using that entrance. Draco had to lead the way through the grounds; they passed peacocks and stags on their way out of the manor. They had to climb a wall to escape Hermione and Draco levitated Mr Granger over the wall, Ron being the tallest helped Mrs Granger.

As they were doing this they heard the shouting and banging from the house, the Order had made an appearance at last. Once free they apparated straight to steps of Grimmauld Place "Mum!" Ron shouted as soon as they were inside "Ron?" was the reply, Mrs. Weasley came running to meet them then told them to take Mr. Granger to the living room and Ron was to take the prisoners to the cells under the stairs where Fred and George were currently holding Mrs. Malfoy.

"Okay, I can fix this no problem." Molly reassured Hermione and her mother "Harry gab my bag from the kitchen." Harry ran out of the room and was back just as Ron walked into the room. As they watched Molly took out a blue bottle from the bag which Harry dropped at her feet, she dipped her wand in the potion and then began making figure eight movements with the wand. The skin on Mr. Grangers back began to knit together to leave just a thin line where the burn mark had been.

"Thank you!" Mrs. Granger cried when Molly had finished, she sat on the floor by her husband's head and ran her fingers through his hair "You're going to be okay David." She whispered "He'll need to sleep for a while so let's give your parents some peace." Hermione nodded to the woman who was a second mother to her and with Draco clutching her hand she was lead to the kitchen where the waiting game happened again.

Hermione had thought that once the Order had gotten Bellatrix Lestrange they would come back to Grimmauld Place but they never the Order had taken all their prisoners to the Ministry of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt and Tonks came back for the four prisoners Fred and George where watching. Mr. Granger had woken up and everyone was sitting in the living room "Everyone is fine Molly." Tonks reassured the red head "Moody received some scarring pulling Mundungus Fletcher out of the way of a curse but apart from that everyone is fine."

With this news on top of the stress of the day Hermione fell asleep on Draco's lap, he had been rubbing her back as Tonks started to explain what happened at the Manor when she drifted off. "Are you going to look after her?" Mr Granger asked looking over his daughter "With my life." Draco replied without hesitation "Suppose I couldn't ask more than that." Mr. Granger beamed at them his arm wrapped around the shoulders of his wife.

"What's going to happen now?" Ron asked the room, Molly sighed. "We go to trial; you do know that you will be asked to testify against your mother Draco." Draco looked up from the sleeping woman in his arms "I know what I have to do. Don't worry; I won't let them get away with what they did to you." Moving gently he stood up with Hermione in his arms "We're going to go to bed now; it's been a long day. Goodnight."

Hermione woke in a cold sweat in the early hours of the morning after a dream of being told that everyone she loved had been killed. As she started to cry warm arms wrapped round her. "It's okay Hermione, you're okay, and everyone is safe."

"Draco?" she sobbed turning to bury her face in his chest, taking in his scent he held on to her tighter. "You're parents are okay." He tried to reassure her but Hermione couldn't shake off the fear that gripped her "Are you okay?" she asked pulling away from his body slightly so she could look into his eyes. "I've never been better, I'm free from them and you're parents are fine no one was hurt today and I have you in my arms."

Hermione smiled at that "You know that was cheesy right?" the blonde nodded, "But it got you to smile so it was a manly thing to say." Hermione leant back onto his chest "Are we going to be fine?" she quietly asked not sure if she wanted to hear his answer "I mean with your mum and what she tried to do to my mum and dad." It was a while before Draco asked and he spoke as if he was picking his words carefully "From that moment this morning I became an orphan, that women gave birth to me and that is all, I owe her nothing I am ready to live my life and not be in hiding anymore." He stroked her arm "I guess I should really take you on a date as well."

"Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy on a date?" Hermione did laugh at this, "I think I could agree to that." She conceded snuggling further, as she drifted off to sleep she couldn't help the smile that clung to her lips.

THE END

Okay, so how much do you hate me? I was evil and horrid and left forever but life got hard and I moved on them came back with another fanfic and finished that before I could move back to this.....

Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling


End file.
